Washington, Jan 17 : US President George W Bush was overcome with emotion on November 4,2008, while watching TV coverage of Americans rejoicing over the election of the nation's first black president.

"We saw so many people that were telling the news cameras that they never thought they would see this day," White House press secretary Dana Perino told reporters on Friday.

"President Bush was overcome and delighted that people would now realize that this is a country for everybody," The Washington Times quoted her, as saying.

"The sincerity with which he called President-elect Obama that night has now been borne out in the transition," she said.

Perino also recounted how one of the president's aides asked him this week how he felt about criticism from Obama on how the first 350 billion dollars of the economic rescue package was spent.

"The president said, `Look they're trying to get the second half through Congress,'" Perino said.

She said Bush is "able to focus on the big picture and recognize politics for what it is." (ANI)