President promises cooperation during transition, says "Americans can be proud;" of their choice.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFbush frank congratulates obama 248 88(photo credit: AP)
President George W. Bush fully embraced the election of Democrat Barack Obama as his successor on Wednesday, paying stirring tribute to the election of the first US black president-elect and hailing the campaign of change that led Obama to victory.
Bush promised Obama his "complete cooperation" during the Democrat's 76-day transition to the White House. The president said he would keep Obama informed on all his decisions between now and January 20, and said he looked forward to the day - soon, he hopes - that Obama and his family would take him up on his offer of pre-inauguration White House visit.
But perhaps most striking about the Republican's brief remarks was the stream of compliments he paid to Obama and the repeated nods to the history-making aspect of his ascension. He called Obama's win an "impressive victory," said it represented strides "toward a more perfect union" and said the choice of Obama was "a triumph of the American story, a testament to hard work, optimism and faith in the enduring promise of our nation."
The defeated leader of his own party, John McCain, won accolades not nearly so glowing.
"The American people will always be grateful for the lifetime of service John McCain has devoted to this nation, and I know he'll continue to make tremendous contributions to our country," Bush said.
To a country with monumental civil rights battles in its past, Bush said: "All American can be proud of the history that was made yesterday."
He recalled the millions of blacks who turned out to vote for one of their own, saying he realizes many never fully believed they would live to see this day. But he also hinted that he has personal feelings of high emotion at this moment, representing the end of a controversial eight years in the Oval Office during which he tried, but failed, to attract more blacks to his party.
"It will be a stirring sight to see President Obama, his wife, Michelle, and their beautiful girls step through the doors of the White House," the president said. "I know millions of Americans will be overcome with pride at this inspiring moment that so many have waited for so long."
Shortly afterwards, an emotional Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hailed the election of Obama as the first black US president as an "extraordinary step forward" in efforts to overcome racism.
"As an African-American, I'm especially proud," Rice told reporters of the election Tuesday of Obama, the son of black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas.
Hours after Obama easily defeated Republican John McCain in a triumph that reflected Americans' weariness with eight years of President George W. Bush administration rule, Bush's chief diplomat said that America has "been through a long journey, in terms of overcoming wounds and making race not the factor in our lives.
"That work is not done, but yesterday was obviously an extraordinary step forward," Rice said.
Obama's first task will be to begin building a Democratic administration that will help him make good on the promises of change that carried him to the White House. He will become president in January.
Rice pledged that the State Department would work to make sure the transition to an Obama administration is smooth.
In electing Obama, American voters broke with a sad history of racial divisions.
Rice called Obama inspirational and said that McCain was gracious in defeat.
America "continues to surprise," Rice said. "You just know that Americans are not going to be satisfied until they really do form that perfect union. And while the perfect union may never be in sight, we just keep working at it and trying."
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