Even before the 36-day fandango following the election, George W.Bush and his team focused both on the presidential transition andthe initial days of the presidency. Bush and chief political adviserKarl Rove had read history, examining how previous presidents hadhandled their initial phases in transition and in office; early on,Rove cautioned reporters and analysts to watch not the first 100days but the first 180 days for an early measure of the president'scapacity and success.