Gates is avoiding questions about his future.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – In the best tradition of the CIA spymaster he once was, Defense Secretary Robert Gates is still holding his cards close on whether he has had any discussions with President-elect Obama about remaining at his post in the new administration.

Speaking tersely to CNN in a Pentagon hallway Friday, Gates said, "Nice try," when asked if he or his staff had spoken to the president-elect or his staff.

He said he had "nothing to add" to a statement he made earlier this week in which he told reporters, "I have nothing new to say on that subject."

But Gates' non-answers are a change from earlier in the year, when the idea seemed more remote.

"The circumstances under which I would do that are inconceivable to me," Gates craftily replied in an April 2008 Pentagon news briefing.

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Obama was briefed on topics of national security interest.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Sen. Barack Obama Tuesday received his first high level briefing as a candidate from the office of the Director of National Intelligence, according to officials at the campaign and at the DNI's office.

DNI spokesman Richard Willing said the briefings were on "topics of national security interest."

Obama was given the briefing at the FBI field office in Chicago. A team of intelligence experts from the DNI office traveled to Chicago to brief the democratic candidate on national security and intelligence issues, according to sources.

The briefing was more extensive than what he would normally get as a senator on the Foreign Relations Committee, but not as detailed as the daily briefing given to the president.

President Bush has followed the practice of previous presidents in deciding that intelligence briefings will be made available to the presidential and vice presidential candidates of both major parties, CNN has learned.

Sen. Joe Biden, Obama's running mate, has not yet received a briefing. The Republican ticket, Sen. McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin, will be able to be briefed once they are officially nominated later this week.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — CNN has learned that the Director of National Intelligence Admiral (retired) Michael McConnell is letting it be known he is willing to stay for up to six months in the next Administration to help facilitate any transition, if a new president wishes him to.

A source close to McConnell is confirming McConnell will make that offer, but that he has "no desire" to be re-appointed by the new president.

McConnell is the first senior Bush Administration national security official believed to have made such an offer.

This will be the first presidential transition since the massive reorganization of the intelligence community following the 9-11 attacks, and the first time the DNI office has been through a transition.

Administration officials say there is no specific intelligence indicating terrorists are planning an attack. But Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has assembled a military team to be ready to brief a president-elect on potential vulnerabilities to attacks during the transition.