There are two ways of looking at the deal announced Tuesday night by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray.

Either the deal — which rolls back the 2011 sequestration budget ceiling by increasing federal spending from $967 billion to $1.012 trillion in 2014 — represents another cave by spineless congressional Republican leaders or a brainy, pragmatic decision to take the issue off the legislative calendar until after the 2014 election.