Wife of America's first black president celebrates

The voting is over, the campaigns are closing down, and America looks forward to a new Democratic future. The party's celebrations are still continuing across the country and no-one is celebrating more than the woman who calls the nation's first black leader her husband - Senator Hillary Clinton.

Hillary has organised a huge party to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the November 1992 election which propelled Bill Clinton into the White House as President. Bill's southern charm and immense popularity with African-American voters meant that he was dubbed the first "black" president. She will also use the event to mark her 2008 Democratic primary campaign which brought a woman closer to a presidential nomination than ever before in American history.

Hillary announced the event, which will raise money to pay off her primary campaign debt, at a press conference in Washington, D.C. With the Democrats increasing their leads in the House and Senate, Hillary has big plans to push through legislation that will fulfil many of her platforms from the primary race. Against a backdrop of the Democrat Mule emblem and pictures of her, her family and her friends, the New York Senator outlined her vision.

"We stand on the edge of a great new American era and I pledge to all the people of this great nation that I will work night and day to improve this country, and I will demand the same of my colleagues in Congress. 16 years ago, Bill and I promised to turn this country around and we did. After 8 years of failed Republican government, we now have the chance to do it again."

Meanwhile, President-Elect Barack Obama celebrated quietly at home, taking a well earned break after a gruelling primary and general election campaign, before the work of transition and government begins in earnest.