KSL Editorial: Debt-ceiling compromise

SALT LAKE CITY -- The eleventh-hour resolution of the debate over the nation's debt ceiling offers an historic validation of a fundamental truth about our form of government -- it simply does not work without the ability to reach a compromise.

The debate was contentious, combative, and at many junctures, confusing. History will record that we came frighteningly close to a fiscal default, which regardless of its economic impact, would have symbolically served as a declaration that our government has reached a point of dysfunction.

Such an outcome would have greatly dishonored the founding fathers, who understood the welfare of the whole nation must always supersede the ideological demands of our political parties. When such ideologies are miles apart, as they are on the debt issue, compromise becomes much more difficult, but no less essential.

The Constitution itself is the product of many compromises. Many times in our history we have bridged great divides on critical issues, and many times the parties have come away less than satisfied with the result. But they recognized that an ideologically impure outcome is still superior to stalemate.

This time, there are those on both sides who refuse to bend their positions for the sake of consensus. They remain glued to doctrines that disdain compromise in lieu of rigid partisanship.

History will eventually pass judgment. It may show that such brinksmanship had the beneficial effect of forcing the issue of fiscal responsibility and slapping the nation awake to the necessity to get our spending and revenue policies in order.

But history will also show that, once again, our system of government fails without the uncommon courage of those who choose to seek common ground, for the common good.

Email: cpsarras@ksl.com