"I am optimistic that we can change the tone of Washington, D.C.," he said in a nationally televised speech an hour after Al Gore finally conceded to him.
"I was not elected to serve one party, but to serve one nation," Bush said from the Texas state Capitol in Austin.
"Tonight I chose to speak from the chamber of the Texas House of Representatives because it has been a home to bipartisan cooperation. Here in a place where Democrats have the majority, Republicans and Democrats have worked together to do what is right for the people we represent.
"We've had spirited disagreements. And in the end, we found constructive consensus. It is an experience I will always carry with me, an example I will always follow."
"I know America wants reconciliation and unity.
"We can unite and inspire the American citizens," Bush said, calling for progress on government schools, Social Security, Medicare, prescription drug coverage for elders, tax relief, foreign policy and the military.
"Together we will address some of society's deepest problems ... the essence of compassionate conservatism."
"I ask for you to pray for this great nation," he said.
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