REPUBLICANS nationwide can celebrate President Bush's historic victory in Tuesday's elections, but Maryland's GOP scored a two-fer. The beaming faces of two triumphant Republican leaders light up the news pages and television screens here. Governor-elect Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. also defied the oddsmakers and succeeded in much the same way as Mr. Bush.
Both are natural politicians who can attract voters regardless of party label. Both took advantage of disarray and infighting among Democrats to offer a more compelling message. The president's subliminal theme was national security. The Ehrlich call was loud and clear for change.
Now both Republicans have a rare opportunity to serve their party and their broader constituencies by governing from the center.
Mr. Bush comes to the task with more allies in place than the governor-elect. Republicans now control both chambers in Congress. That doesn't mean he can get anything he wants. But he can get most anything he wants through the House, and can be assured that the Senate will at least put his priorities up for a vote.
His best chance to "make progress for all the American people," as Mr. Bush put it yesterday, is to seek compromise with Senate Democrats, who still have enough leverage to block his priorities.
He began on a conciliatory note, calling on the Democrats to work with him on homeland security and reviving the economy. If both sides come to the effort in good faith, they can find common ground.
Mr. Ehrlich will need to deal with a General Assembly run by Democrats holding a lopsided two-thirds majority. But the Maryland governor has more control over the state budget than the president does over federal spending. State legislators can only cut spending from the governor's proposals. They can't add money or shift it between categories. That should give Mr. Ehrlich considerable bargaining power.
He has given every sign that bargaining is what he intends to do on the budget and other contentious issues. He's also likely to include some Democrats in his administration, which will help give it a centrist cast.
As Mr. Ehrlich knows best, it wasn't right-wing orthodoxy that got him elected in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1. Instead, it was a demand for government that addresses bread-and-butter concerns such as good schools, safe transportation, economic development and environmental protection.
If he and Mr. Bush make the most of their moment, the state and the nation will be in their debt.