What Honeymoon?

When pressed in the two debates, he has reiterated the goals of a massive new alternative energy program, expansion of health-care benefits and investment in education at all levels from pre-kindergarten through college.

With revenue depleted and the costs of Medicaid, welfare and unemployment benefits boosted by the threatened recession, it will take legerdemain to keep those promises.

And that hardly allows for the costs of an expanding war in Afghanistan and a continuing commitment to Iraq -- and God knows what other international crises may develop.

A few forward-looking Democrats have begun to focus on what could be the first test for a President Obama with a Congress controlled by his own party: whether to insist on a pay-as-you-go rule for the budget.

That rule, which provided the discipline behind the Clinton administration's balanced budgets, was abandoned by the Republicans -- with disastrous fiscal results. Pay-go was revived last year when the Democrats took over Congress. But the requirement that any new or increased spending be offset by comparable cuts or new revenue has been a source of frustration for many in the party. And it will pinch much harder if applied next year.

No easy choices will be available to the next president. If Obama wins, he may have the shortest honeymoon in history.

davidbroder@washpost.com