Washington - Even in bitter defeat, Republicans joined Democrats in celebrating Barack Obama's historic achievement of becoming the first African American to become president of the United States.

President George W Bush, whose vast unpopularity coupled with the falling economy prompted the voter backlash against Republicans that likely cost John McCain the election, couldn't help but praise Obama on Wednesday for breaking the racial barrier and overcoming more than two centuries of discrimination.

"No matter how they cast their ballots, all Americans can be proud of the history that was made yesterday," Bush said of Obama's resounding defeat of McCain. "Many of our citizens thought they would never live to see that day."

Unwritten protocol dictates that the vanquished in an election offer congratulatory and polite remarks about the victorious opponents, but the outpouring of emotion and praise for Obama was unprecedented.

Bush's top diplomat, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, made a surprise appearance at the daily press briefing to express her enthusiasm for Obama's milestone victory, calling it an "extraordinary step" forward for the United States.

"One of the great things about representing this country is that it continues to surprise. It continues to renew itself. It continues to beat all odds and expectations," said a cheerful Rice, who became the first black woman to hold the job.

Colin Powell, Rice's predecessor who made history himself when he become the first African American to serve as the top military officer in 1989 before Bush appointed him as the first black secretary of state in 2000, choked up when asked on CNN about Tuesday's outcome.

"I have to share in the pride that all Americans have now," said Powell, a man who rarely expresses emotion but admitted that he shed tears of joy after Obama won. "I'm not ashamed of it."

Two weeks before the election, Powell broke with his party and endorsed Obama, arguing the McCain campaign lacked direction and the country needed change. But he firmly maintained he still considered himself a Republican.

"President-elect Obama did not put himself forward as an African American president," Powell said. "He put himself forward as an American who happened to be black, who happened to be African American - and that ought to come after the title."

Some of the most gracious comments come from McCain, who eloquently conceded defeat after a hard fought contest against a younger candidate whose message of change captivated the United States and the world.

"I recognize the special significance it has for African- Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight," McCain said, alluding to the struggle for civil rights.

"America today is a world away from the cruel and frightful bigotry of that time," McCain said. "There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United States." (dpa)