Hillary Clinton may have smashed through the glass ceiling for women in politics but she will no longer be in the running to be the first woman president this year.
Senator Clinton has formally ended her presidential campaign today, endorsing the Democratic Party's new White House nominee, Barack Obama.
“Our fight now to accomplish the goals for which we stand is to take our energy, our passion, our strength and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama the next President of the United States.”
“Today, as I suspend my campaign I congratulate him on the victory he has won and the extraordinary race he has run,” she said.
“I endorse him and throw my full support behind him.”
“I ask you all to join me, in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me.”
Senator Clinton said she’s known Barack Obama for a long time and he’ll do a great job as President.
“I have served in the Senate with him for four years, I have been in this campaign with him for 16 months.”
“I have stood on the stage and gone toe to toe with him in 22 debates.”
“I have seen his strength and determinate his grace and his grit.”
“In his own life Barack Obama has lived the American Dream.”
“In this dedicated himself to ensure that the dream is realised.”
“In this campaign he has inspired so many to become involved in the democratic process and invested our common future.”
In return Senator Obama says he's honoured to have won the former first lady's endorsement, vowing she'll be at the forefront of the party's election battle.
Senator Clinton says there's no point pondering what could have been.
“Every moment wasted looking back keeps us from looking forward.”
She said unity will ensure the Democrats are in office at the start of next year.
“When I started this race I intended to win back the Whitehouse and make sure we have a President who puts out country back on the path to peace, prosperity and progress and that’s exactly what we’re going to do by ensuring that Barack Obama walks through the doors of the Oval Office on January 20th, 2009.”
“The Democratic Party is a family and now it’s time to restore the ties that bind us together and to come together around the ideals we share, the values we cherish and the country we love.”
“We may have started on separate journeys but today our paths have merged and we’re all heading toward the same destination – united and more ready than ever - to win in November and to turn our country around because so much is at stake.”