For most of the week, the U.N.'s global-warming conference in Bali wasn't going well, in large part because of the Bush administration's obstinacy. The good news is, delegations reached a compromise early this morning. The bad news is, it's painful to realize what constitutes a climate-change "compromise" in Bush World.

A U.N. climate conference adopted a plan Saturday to negotiate a new global warming pact, after the United States lifted opposition to a call by developing nations for technological help to battle rising temperatures.

The adoption came after marathon negotiations overnight, which first settled a battle between Europe and the U.S. over whether the document should mention specific goals for rich countries' obligations to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

So, what was the problem? As delegations worked on a document outlining future goals, European countries included language in the preamble mandating that industrialized countries reduce emissions by 25% -- to 40% below 1990 levels -- by the year 2020. The Bush administration balked.

The breakthrough came after over-night negotiations, when an Indonesian official recommended that the emissions targets remain in the preamble, but only as a "footnote" to the preamble. Chief U.S. negotiator Harlan Watson was satisfied, saying the Bush administration's delegation could "live with" the footnote change.

I vaguely recall a time in 2001 when Republicans rejoiced that "grown-ups" would finally be in charge at the White House. In retrospect, their glee looks almost quaint.