http://www.detnews.com/2004/politics/0411/03/politics-324579.htm
“We are convinced that President Bush has won re-election with at least 286 electoral votes, and he also has a margin of more than 3.5 million in the popular vote,” Bush Chief of Staff Andrew Card told Bush supporters at 5:40 a.m. today.
President Bush, who stayed up all night watching election returns, was eager to personally address his supporters, but with the election still unsettled, he dispatched Card instead.
“President Bush decided to give Sen. Kerry the respect of more time to reflect on the results of this election,” Card declared. He said the president would be making a statement later in the day.