Washington Post desperate for a deal, any deal

With just three days before the "fiscal cliff" deadline, the Washington Post is getting anxious.

From its lead editorial today:

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) suggested Thursday that lawmakers might not be able to manage even that, and, predictably, politicians spent the day attempting to blame each other for the continuing impasse. Mr. Boehner insisted that Senate Democrats take up an unwise plan the House passed months ago, which would extend the Bush tax cuts even for the rich. Mr. Reid responded by calling the House a “dictatorship,” suggesting that Mr. Boehner was trying only to protect his position as speaker.

With such pettiness and ill will from congressional leaders, it will be little wonder if there is no deal... But avoiding the cliff, even with a stopgap, is imperative. Though many of the worst impacts can be put off for a bit, any government project with a lead time, including those at the Pentagon, would immediately be at risk, and federal contracting and tax collection could become a shambles. ...