Barack Obama began to speak openly and in detail about the post-election transition period from George Bush's presidency for the first time yesterday, opening himself up to charges of complacency.

As most polls showed the Democratic candidate's lead over his Republican rival John McCain still growing, Obama held a meeting in Richmond, Virginia, to discuss with senior national security advisers the foreign policy challenges he would face as president. Bucking the trend, one poll, conducted by Associated Press, showed McCain cutting back Obama's 7% lead three weeks ago to 1%, on 44% to 43%.

Obama's comments mark a significant change in the campaign, switching from rhetoric to a more presidential tone.

Although Obama added the caveat that "I don't want to get too far ahead of myself," his comments reflected a sense of confidence that his campaign team is finding it hard to hide. At a press conference after the national security meeting, he said that although he had been almost single-mindedly focused on the economy, he had plans ready for Iraq, Afghanistan and other foreign policy problems.

He spoke about having teams in place to deal with foreign and economic policy during the awkward transitional period between November 4 and the inauguration on January 20.

Interviewed yesterday, Obama said a smooth transition was essential to make sure America's enemies did not take advantage of a shift in administrations.

In another sign of looking beyond the November 4 election, he welcomed a White House-organised international summit on the economic crisis planned for November 15. With Bush as a lame-duck president and Obama as possibly the president-in-waiting, the Democratic candidate would be a key figure. "I am happy today that the White House announced a summit that provides an opportunity to advance the kind of cooperation I called for last month," he said. "America must lead and other nations must be part of the solution too." He refused to be drawn into what role he would play at the summit if he was elected president. He said his economic team was already in constant touch with the treasury secretary, Henry Paulson.

To avoid sounding too presumptuous, he said: "Even though the election will have taken place and there will be a new president-elect, we are still going to have one president at a time until January 20, until the new president is sworn in."

It is risky for Obama to speak so openly about the post-election period with 13 days still to go of the campaign. While his appearance surrounded by national security experts from the Clinton administration and Washington-based thinktanks can make him appear more presidential, it also opens him up to accusations by McCain that he has become too cocky.

McCain told a rally yesterday before Obama's meeting that his rival was behaving as if he was already president to the extent that he would be making an address to the nation next.

The meeting with his national security advisers and a rally planned for Leesburg, Virginia, last night will be among Obama's last events before heading for Hawaii for two days to visit the grandmother who helped raise him and who is seriously ill.

The meeting in Richmond and the subsequent press conference were designed partly to try to deflect comments made by his vice-presidential running-mate, Joe Biden, on Sunday. Biden, who is famously gaffe-prone, said that Obama as president could expect to face international crises as America's opponents sought to test him.

Both McCain and his running-mate, Sarah Palin, jumped on this, saying America's enemies perceived Obama as weak and would seek to test him.

Obama responded: "His core point was the next president is going to be tested regardless of who it is."

Palin too found herself on the defensive yesterday when an Associated Press investigation found what appeared to be a cover-up in relation to expenses claimed as governor of Alaska. As was reported last month, Palin charged the state more than $21,000 to cover the cost of her children travelling with her. But AP found that documents appear to have been amended afterwards to specify that the trips were on official business.