PHOENIX – Republican John McCain concedes the presidential race to Barack Obama, saying the Democrat has achieved a “great thing” for himself and the country with his historic victory.

McCain – with wife Cindy on one side and running-mate Sarah Palin on the other – urged his supporters to put aside partisan differences and work to get “the country moving again.”

Speaking from outside the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, McCain told his supporters: “It’s natural tonight to feel some disappointment. Though we fell short, the failure is mine, not yours.”