The nation's top intelligence officials planned to give him top-secret daily briefings starting Thursday, sharing with him the most critical overnight intelligence as well as other information he has not been allowed to see as a senator or candidate. And Obama planned to give the first of his media briefings on Thursday as he moves to begin assembling a White House staff and selecting Cabinet nominees.

A top priority would be picking a White House chief of staff to help manage the appointments to come. Democratic officials told the AP that Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel was offered the job, but it was not known whether he had accepted. A former aide in Bill Clinton's White House, Emanuel was re-elected to Congress on Tuesday.

With just 76 days until his inauguration as the 44th president and his transition operation well under way, Obama may be able to unveil selections for positions such as Treasury secretary and secretary of state within days. Speculation is already rife about several names for those prominent posts.

The next Treasury secretary will inherit one of the hottest seats in Washington, faced both with guiding the $700 billion economic bailout package and the regulatory reform needed to prevent a repeat of the current crisis.

In an Obama administration, the short list for Treasury likely includes former Treasury secretary Lawrence Summers, former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker and Timothy Geithner, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Obama has also spoken favorably about investor Warren Buffett, while University of Chicago economist Austan Goolsbee and former Clinton White House aide Jason Furman are also important economic advisors to the incoming president.

Secretary of State Kerry?
New Jersey Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, whose name has also been floated for the Treasury post, told CNBC on Wednesday he had not discussed joining the Obama administration with anybody, though he added he would never rule anything out.

For secretary of state, Massachusetts Democratic Sen. John Kerry, former diplomat Richard Holbrooke, outgoing Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel and former Georgia Democratic senator Sam Nunn are among the names in the mix.

James Steinberg, a former Clinton adviser, is a top contender for National Security Adviser. Susan Rice, another former Clinton aide, could be considered for that job or another senior post.

Obama also relies heavily on three foreign policy experts on his campaign staff who are likely to end up in the White House or State Department. Those three aides are Mark Lippert and Denis McDonough, both former Senate aides, and Ben Rhodes, Obama's foreign policy speech writer.

With wars under way in Iraq and Afghanistan, Obama might consider keeping Robert Gates on as Secretary of Defense. He might also consider tapping former Navy secretary Richard Danzig, a close adviser.

'Complete cooperation'
President Bush promised Obama his "complete cooperation" during the transition period.

He pledged to keep Obama informed on all his decisions between now and Jan. 20, and said he looked forward to the day — soon, he hopes — that Obama and his family would take him up on his offer of pre-inauguration White House visit.

But he also hinted that he has personal feelings of high emotion at this moment.

"It will be a stirring sight to see President Obama, his wife, Michelle, and their beautiful girls step through the doors of the White House," the president said. "I know millions of Americans will be overcome with pride at this inspiring moment that so many have waited so long."

Personal decisions
Obama planned to keep a low profile on his first full day as president-elect, aides said. Obama had told reporters over the weekend that he'd hold a press conference Wednesday, but the campaign staff later walked that back and said it would be more likely to come by the end of the week.

There were more personal decisions to be made, too, like when to move his family to Washington and where his 10- and 7-year-old daughters will go to school.

Obama also was expected to take time to mourn his grandmother, who died Sunday before she could see the grandson she helped raise achieve his dream. Obama could be considering a return to his native Hawaii for the small private ceremony that she requested be held later.

And then there was the matter of the family pet. "Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House," he told his daughters in his victory speech.

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