President Bush waves to supporters after claiming victory over Sen. John Kerry in the election at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2004. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Former Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (R) stands with running mate John Edwards at his concession speech in Faneuil Hall in Boston, Massachusetts.

(Xinhua Photo)

President George W. Bush on Wednesday praised his Democratic presidential opponent John Kerry for concession of defeat in the White House race and reached out to the Democrats after a bitterly-fought election.

"Earlier today, Senator Kerry called with his congratulations. We had a really good phone call. He was very gracious," Bush told cheering supporters at a ceremony in Washington.

"Senator Kerry waged a spirited campaign, and he and his supporters can be proud of their efforts," Bush said.

Bush tried to unite the country by reaching out to the Democrats who have strongly opposed the policies of the first Bushadministration.

"Today I want to speak to every person who voted for my opponent. To make this nation stronger and better, I will need your support and I will work to earn it. I will do all I can do todeserve your trust. A new term is a new opportunity to reach out to the whole nation," Bush said.

"We have one country, one Constitution, and one future that binds us. And when we come together and work together, there is nolimit to the greatness of America," Bush said.

Before Bush spoke, Vice President Dick Cheney said this was a historic election and he declared Bush won nationwide victory in the election.

At a ceremony in Boston earlier Wednesday, Kerry conceded defeat in the White House race and said he offered President Bush congratulations for the victory in the election.

"Earlier today, I spoke to President Bush and I offered him andLaura our congratulations on their victory. We had a good conversation, and we talked the danger of division in our country and the need, the desperate need for unity, for finding the commonground, coming together. Today I hope that we can begin the healing," Kerry told supporters in a ceremony held in his hometownBoston, Massachusetts.

Kerry said the election outcome should be decided by voters, not by a protracted legal process.

"I would not give up this fight if there was a chance we would prevail. But it is now clear that even when all the provisional ballots are counted -- which they will be -- there won't be enoughoutstanding votes for us to be able to win Ohio, and therefore we cannot win this election," Kerry said.

Kerry made the difficult move after realizing that he could never overturn the six-figure disadvantage in make-or-brake stateof Ohio with 20 electoral votes.

There was a severe vote-counting dispute in the 2000 presidential election when Bush and Democratic presidential hopeful Al Gore competed for the White House. After 36 days without an election winner, the US Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that Bush won that election. Bush has been aiming for the re-election throughout his first term.