Two political rivals meet at the edge of a cliff.
JB: Jump off that cliff!
BO: Exactly how high do you want me to jump?
JB: 100 feet.
BO: OK, well I'll jump off the cliff, but not that high. Meet me in the middle at say, 90 feet?
JB: Listen, buddy. We both have to give up something in this deal. You agree to jump 100 feet, and we agree not to push you off the edge before you jump. See, it's a compromise!
BO: OK, well, in the name of compromise, I'll jump 99 feet.
CNN: Breaking news! A compromise has been reached in the cliff hanging crisis. It's a deal that doesn't give either side exactly what they wanted, and that's sure to make some tea party members extremely upset. Coming up, we'll hear from both sides! I'm Wolf Blitzer and you're in the Situation Room.