Today President-Elect Obama will receive for the first time the same daily national security and intelligence briefing that a sitting President gets.

Barack Obama will get his first intelligence briefing as president-elect on Thursday, a U.S. official said, as the first-term senator prepared to face security challenges from terrorism to a resurgent Russia.

The official, who is familiar with the process, said on Wednesday that Obama would receive the same briefing as outgoing President George W. Bush.

The briefing is more detailed and comprehensive than those given candidate Obama and the Republican opponent he defeated on Tuesday, Sen. John McCain.

"He (Obama) will see the full range of capabilities we deploy for the United States," CIA Director Michael Hayden said in a letter to employees.

U.S. presidents start their day with an overview of intelligence developments, delivered by the director of national intelligence.

If you want to know what makes these guys age in office then this is it. Today we begin watching the graying of Barack Obama.

Regardless of what side of the aisle you occupy you kind of have to admire anyone who is willing to wake up to this every single day of their time in office.

One thing further. Barack Obama is not my guy. Far from it. But he is the duly elected President, so chosen by a majority of my countrymen. I will refer to him in future posts as either "Barack Obama", "The President", or President(-Elect) Obama.

The office demands it.

So sayeth Walsingham.