The first challenge for President Kerry

The Bull Moose weighs in on what will happen after Kerry wins:

In short, if Kerry wins, Republicans will move on Wednesday to delegitimize his victory. The Moose is not necessarily referring to ballot challenges, although that will likely occur. What the Moose is referring to is an attempt by the vast right wing conspiracy (take the Moose's word - he was there and Hillary was exactly right about this term) will seek to strangle the Democratic Presidency in its crib.

The era of presidential honeymoons is over. Time was a new President could expect at least a few weeks of fairly smooth sailing in office before the opposition party turned up the heat. Not now. Kerry's honeymoon will last only so long as the time it takes Bush to make his concession call to Kerry. The minute he hangs up the phone the elephants will be rampaging across the land doing anything in their power to make it impossible for him to govern.

Even if that means making things worse for most of America. Even if it means tanking the economy. Even if it means forcing a disastrous collapse in Iraq. Even if it means letting bin Laden escape once again.

Which is why it is paramount for Kerry to make capturing bin Laden his #1 priority. He should, of course, do everything he can to fix the economy and the problems in Iraq. But until he captures Osama, he will never be given a moments respite from the right wing attacks. Getting bin Laden will be the only thing that will confer any sense of legitimacy on Kerry's presidency.

Kerry has made the failure of Bush to get bin Laden a focal point of his attacks on Bush. From the moment Kerry finishes taking that phone call from Bush, the Republicans will spend every waking moment of the next four years reminding him and us that he hasn't caught Osama yet.

Which is why it is so vitally important that he do so.

If Kerry does not get bin Laden by 2008, you can pretty much kiss off any chance of him getting re-elected.

If Kerry does not get bin Laden by 2006, you can pretty much kiss off any chance of the Democrats increasing their control of Congress.

If Kerry does not get bin Laden by 2005, you can pretty much kiss off any chance he will have of implementing any of his domestic programs.

If Kerry does not produce bin Laden as the highlight of his inauguration speech, you can pretty much kiss off any chance he will have of passing any of his domestic program through a Republican disabled congress

This is the reality President Kerry and the rest of us will have to deal with soon. We better be prepared.