WASHINGTON (AFP) - President George W. Bush was to lay out his plans for a second term after Democratic rival John Kerry conceded defeat in their White House race, Bush`s spokesman said.
Kerry telephoned Bush at 11:02 a.m. (1502 GMT) to officially end the bitterly personal contest, banishing doubts over disputed votes in the crucial state of Ohio, White House press secretary Scott McClellan told reporters.
"I think you were an admirable, worthy opponent," McClellan quoted Bush as telling Kerry in a chat that did not exceed four minutes. "You waged one tough campaign. I hope you are proud of the effort you put in. You should be."
Bush was to speak at 3:00 pm (2000 GMT) about his victory and his second-term agenda for the deeply divided United States, said McClellan.
"You can expect the president to talk to the American people about how we move this country forward together to get things done," the spokesman said.
During and after the call, Bush praised Kerry as "very gracious" and later hugged senior staff and the lower-level aide who follows him everywhere, then exchanged congratulations with Vice President Dick Cheney.
Afterwards, he went to the residence of the presidential mansion to share the news with First Lady Laura Bush as well as get some exercise.
Bush braced for an onslaught of congratulatory telephone calls from world leaders -- although the first call from overseas came from British Prime Minister Tony Blair, hours before Kerry conceded.
Bush`s closest ally on the war in Iraq, called to discuss the uncertain US political contest around 3:00 am (0800 GMT), said McClellan.
The US president, whose father lost his bid for a second term in 1992, went to sleep at 5:00 am Wednesday -- roughly seven hours after his usual bedtime -- after a tense final stretch of campaigning.
He awoke at 7:00 am and was in the Oval Office by 8:00 am, accompanied by former president George Bush.
He spent the morning getting his usual intelligence briefings and chatting with top aides, including White House chief of staff Andy Card, communications adviser Karen Hughes, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, and Cheney.
Bush also placed congratulatory telephone calls to successful Republican Senate candidates, including John Thune, who ousted Tom Daschle, the Democratic leader in the Senate, an especially ardent foe of the White House.
During one such telephone call, the president said of his agenda: "Now is the time to get it done."
11/03/2004 - 17:58 GMT - AFP