The spectacle of the governor vetoing perfectly good spending bills because he "can't cash checks without a checking account" is a fittingly silly coda to a legislative session that adjourned without doing its job.

But, judging by the spate of angry letters we've received since lawmakers left town, the last thing Montanans will accept is a repeat performance during the special session.

At the behest of Senate President Mike Cooney, D-Helena, legislative leaders plan to meet next week to work out a plan that will avoid such a repeat.

There's been some talk about whether Gov. Schweitzer should be part of the discussion. After all, much of his budget proposals have been backed by Democratic legislators, and he holds veto power over anything the special session comes up with.

However, it is the legislative branch that that has put its own feet to the fire. It will be up to lawmakers to find a way to put aside their recent orgy of unbridled partisanship and do what's right by the folks who elected them.

It seems to us that job will entail finding common ground somewhere about half way between the governor's budget proposal and the Republicans' tax-cut preferences, passing a budget with no more game playing, and hightailing it out of Helena.

All the while praying there's no budget surplus in 2009.