As the election debate drags on in a seemingly endless line of courtrooms from Florida to our nation’s capital, a bigger problem is looming in the background.

Congressional GOP leaders are about to square off with President Bill Clinton in yet another budget showdown. And no one stands to win.

On Wednesday, House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas, used some threatening language as he drew the proverbial line in the sand for Clinton.

&uot;If he wants to shut down the government that’s his problem, not ours,” DeLay said.

We urge both sides in the matter to set aside their personal politics and egos and get down to doing what’s best for the country.

&uot;Doing the right thing&uot; may seem easy, but often it may be the most difficult thing in the world to do – especially for politicians, apparently.

Most of the budget bills have been agreed upon. However, four of the 13 still remain.

And that leaves plenty of leeway for both sides to jostle each other and scrap over what they think needs to happen.

Wouldn’t it be great if, for once, politicians worked out the matter in a timely, organized fashion rather than the haphazard, partisan manner that increasingly seems the norm?

We hope that Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., and other GOP leaders can find the fortitude to bolster a compromise and keep the issue from spiraling down into the government shut down messes we experienced in 1995 and 1996.

And, at the very least, let’s leave the arguing and fighting up to the election lawyers.