Campaigning, with the media praising every move, is much easier than getting down to the nitty-gritty of on-the-job training.
In the past four days, president-elect Barack Obama (pictured), once lauded as having the smoothest transition to power in modern history, has learned how hard it is to navigate the political high wire.
His commerce secretary nominee withdrew while facing a grand jury investigating corruption charges; he backpedaled on his Senate replacement; and he infuriated top Democratic senators by failing to consult them on his pick to run the CIA.
The missteps have chafed Capitol Hill allies and proved the difficulty of converting so quickly from candidate to leader of the free world.
Democrats were especially critical of a proposed $3,000 tax credit for companies that hire or retrain workers that Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota described as "misdirected."
The latest example came Wednesday when Mr. Obama offered comments that cleared the way for senior Democrats to seat Roland Burris as his replacement in the Senate, a stunningly absolute and rapid turnaround.
Senate Democrats decided to open the way for Mr. Burris to join their ranks just hours after their insistence that any appointment made by embattled Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich should not be honored.
Some liberal activists who supported Mr. Obama in the election say they are growing weary of apologizing for his centrist moves.
The Obama promise of change is falling by the wayside with so many appointments filled by retreads from the old Bill Clinton administration.
It appears that buyers remorse is settling in even before Mr. Obama has taken the oath of office.
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