It looks a lot like a classic Emily Litella moment, the vacant news commentator played by the late Gilda Radner on Saturday Night Live.

After weeks of furor, demonstrations and second-guessing about the furloughs  designed to hold down the state's school budget, the Governor and others involved with the original plan have come up with a hearty, Litella-like "never mind."

Back now to square one. Gov. Lingle says she is now open to using the state's rainy day fund to fill part of the budget gap and will ask teachers to once again consider giving up planning and collaboration days in favor of classroom instruction.

This would represent give on both sides. Lingle had been opposed to using special set-aside funds to support teaching. And the teacher's union had been reluctant to give up hard-won planning days to keep classrooms open.

The joke in Radner's Emily Litella routine was that she would get cluelessly off base while everyone around her grimaced. Let's hope resolution of the teacher furlough controversy does not become that kind of a joke.