Good Thursday morning. One year ago on this date, the Democratic nominating fight was extended by five months with an upset win by Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire. Today, the Congress will officially tally electoral votes to formally declare that Barack Obama is president-elect.

**Obama is set to deliver the first major policy speech since the campaign this morning, warning again that "this recession could linger for years" and unemployment could hit double-digits if nothing is done. Selling his economic plan, he will say: "I understand that some might be skeptical of this plan. Our government has already spent a good deal of money, but we haven't yet seen that translate into more jobs or higher incomes or renewed confidence in our economy. That's why the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan won't just throw money at our problems ­ we'll invest in what works. The true test of the policies we'll pursue won't be whether they're Democratic or Republican ideas, but whether they create jobs, grow our economy, and put the American Dream within reach of the American people."

According to excerpts released by the transition office this morning, Obama also previews other actions he will take on the economic front, on foreclosures, on supporting financial institutions, and reforming regulatory systems.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Obama's plan may not pass until mid-February, and "is bogging down in a welter of competing ideas, ideologies and agendas, and may be further slowed by Obama's desire to win over as many Republicans as possible."

**Obama told CNBC's John Harwood that his transition "has been as smooth as any we've seen in history partly because President Bush and Josh Bolten and his team have worked very closely with ours." Asked if he's overconfident, Obama said: "No, I am enormously humbled by the challenges ahead of us. What I do have confidence about is that I'm a good listener, I'm good at synthesizing advice from a range of different perspectives, and that we will make the best possible decisions from the perspective of what's good for ordinary Americans."

**The Washington Post reports on Obama's White House staff, or "Super
Cabinet": "Not since Richard M. Nixon tried to abolish the majority of his Cabinet has a president gone so far in attempting to build a West Wing-based clutch of advisers with a mandate to cut through -- or leapfrog -- the traditional bureaucracy." But a former Nixon White House adviser, Bruce Herschensohn, warns: "Everyone will be fighting with everybody. You'll have conflict with every Cabinet officer who will now have a superior in the West Wing." And then there's this interesting nugget: HHS Secretary Tom Daschle will have a West Wing office.

And speaking of Daschle, The Politico reports that he is employing an "ABC"
or "Anything But Clinton" strategy as he maps out health care reform strategy. And he also wrote about the failed '94 reform plan in his book, saying: "The health-care debate might have played out differently if President Clinton had launched it in the spring of 1993, when he still had some momentum from his election victory."

**ABC's The Note reports that the Presidential Inaugural Committee may have helped pay down some of Hillary Clinton's campaign debt by buying her e-mail list for a fundraising solicitation. It was sent in the name of President Bill Clinton, an honorary co-chair of the Inaugural Committee.

**On January 20, President Bush will fly to Midland, Texas, where a rally will be held in the then-ex-president's honor.

**It seems that Sen. Dianne Feinstein is "warming" to Leon Panetta after all. "We laughed together," she said after chatting with Obama's CIA pick.

**Amazing. A real live Viking could decide the Minnesota Senate contest. Well, a former Minnesota Viking, at least. "Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page, former No. 88 for the Vikings and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, will decide how to pick the three-judge panel that will rule on Republican Norm Coleman's election lawsuit," the St. Paul Pioneer-Press reports.

**Roland Burris thought he had been through everything after spending two days on the Hill, with reporters following his every move in swarm. Today, Burris must testify in front of the Illinois impeachment panel, as Republicans have promised tough questions as to why he would accept a Senate appointment from disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the AP writes.

--Mike Memoli and Kyle Trygstad