Obama: Gitmo Likely Won't Close in First 100 Days

Looking Ahead: Inauguration and a New Puppy

Obama opened up about his upcoming inauguration address. "I think that the main task for me in an inauguration speech, and I think this is true for my presidency generally, is to try to capture as best I can the moment that we are in it... This is the crossroad that we're at. And then to project confidence that if we take the right measures that we can once again be that country, that beacon for the world."

"My focus is to try to be able to describe in simple, plain terms, the challenges we face, but then also to let people know I have every intention of working with the American people so that we meet those challenges."

Obama has been drawing inspiration for his address from his predecessors, Lincoln in particular. "Every time you read that second inaugural, you start getting intimidated, especially because it's really short. You know, there's a genius to Lincoln that is not going to be matched. People then point to Kennedy's inauguration speech. Sorenson and Kennedy together did an extraordinary job. Some of the others are not as inspiring," he said.

The Obama family moved to DC last week and while the President-elect said his two daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, are adapting nicely to their new surroundings.

"I'm trying to figure out why it is that they don't seemed to be fazed by anything. People think -- you know, folks think I'm cool, they are a lot cooler than I am. They just don't seem to be intimidated," Obama said.

But several questions about their lives in Washington remain unanswered. In part because of the demands of the presidential campaign and the furor surrounding his former Pastor Jeremiah Wright, Obama has been without a worship community for about a year.

Obama acknowledges that he misses it.

"It's been a difficult time," he said. "Now, I've got a wonderful community of people who are praying for me every day, and they call me up and -- you know, but it's not the same as going to church and the choir's going and you get this feeling."

Obama said he and his wife Michelle will be visiting churches in Washington, D.C.

"It is tougher as president," Obama said. "You know, this is not just an issue of going to church, it's an issue of going anywhere. You don't want to subject your fellow church members, the rest of the congregation, to being magged every time you go to church. And so, we're going to try to be balancing, not being disruptive to the city, but also saying we want to be part of Washington D.C.," he said.

"But one of the things that I don't like historically about Washington is the way that you've got one part of Washington, which is a company town, all about government, and is generally pretty prosperous. And then, you've got another half of D.C. that is going through enormous challenges. I want to see if we can bring those two Washington D.C.'s together."

And finally, Obama offered up some insight into the future first pooch. The president-elect was accompanied to the "This Week" interview at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. by his two daughters. On a visit to the control room the girls got on the executive producer's headset and offered Stephanopoulos a question for their father.

"While you were getting made up, they went into the control room and played director and producer. And they actually gave me a question they want me to ask you," Stephanopoulos explained. "You know exactly what it's going to be."

"Uh-oh. Go ahead," Obama replied.

"What kind of a dog are we getting and when are we getting it?" Stephanopoulos asked on their behalf.

"They seem to have narrowed it down to a labradoodle or a Portuguese water hound," Obama explained. "We're closing in on it. This has been tougher than finding a commerce secretary."