President-elect Barack Obama has gotten off to a good start with his plan to revive the crippled economy by stressing the need for quick action and making a plea for the kind of bipartisanship rarely seen in Washington. "If you can show me that something is going to work, I will welcome it. If it works better than something I've proposed, I'll welcome it," Obama said at a news conference Friday.

Fine words, but in politics the road to perdition is paved with shining oratory and the best of intentions. With that in mind, lawmakers and the next chief executive should try to avoid the pitfalls that will render the recovery plan ineffective even before it is off the planning board. Here are some do's and don'ts:

Do make sure the plan is big enough. In a widely heralded speech last week, Obama wisely steered clear of putting a price tag on it. This avoids political quibbling down the line about whether the plan has become "bloated." The objective should be to analyze the needs and then come up with realistic spending that can respond to those needs. The point is to stop the free-fall of the economy, not merely slow it down — and that's going to require a big number, perhaps $1 trillion or more.

Don't be shy about the details. The $700 billion Bush administration bailout plan amounted to a huge blank check that left too much authority and discretion in the hands of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. First he got the money, then he pondered how to spend it. This allowed Paulson & Co. to make critical spending decisions with little oversight by Congress. Obama needs some wiggle room, but Congress should reject any plans long on promises but short on specifics.

Don't dawdle. Congress should be reminded of Winston Churchill's advice: "If you're going through hell, keep going." This does not require lawmakers to rubber-stamp whatever plan comes their way. They should take Obama at his word when he says he is to be open to better ideas. But it does mean that the sense of urgency invoked by Obama is genuine. Dragging this out will only make it harder to turn the economy around.

Do keep politics to a minimum. Hey, this is Washington — it's all about politics. We understand. But this is no time for political posturing. Obama reportedly wants to craft a plan that both Democrats and Republicans can support. That's going to require flexibility and political give and take on all sides. The tax cuts that the president-elect has vowed to offer as part of the economic recovery should make it easier to get GOP support.

No incoming president in memory has faced as daunting an agenda as Obama. The economic-stimulus plan will test his mettle, but it also will test the American political system. The sense of unity that the country achieved in the days after Sept. 11, 2001, has long since vanished. Yet the current economic crisis poses as much of a threat to our way of life as did those airplanes piloted by terrorists. It can be overcome only if enough of us are willing to regain a sense of purpose and put aside political divisions in the interest of pulling the country from the brink of economic ruin.