US President Bill Clinton took a few poignant moments at his wife's election victory party late Sunday to praise vice president Al Gore for poise and courage shown throughout his failed quest for the White House.
"Under circumstances which have never before existed in our country, and I pray to God never will again, in the last eight weeks he's shown us a strength of character that very few of us could emulate," Clinton said.
The US president was speaking at a fete held at the gigantic Madison Square Garden sports arena to celebrate Hillary Clinton's swearing in last week as New York's junior senator in the US Congress.
"I am proud, in ways that you will never know," Clinton said of Gore, praising the "strength of character" of the defeated Democratic presidential candidate.
Gore, also at the party, offered complimetary remarks of his own to the first lady.
"I congratulate you, Senator Clinton ... not only on winning, not only on all the votes you received, but on getting your votes counted and finishing the race on time and actually winning it," he said in a joking reference to his own, long drawn-out post-election battle for the White House -- the closest US presidential election in history -- which he ultimately lost to Texas Governor George W. Bush.
Some 5,000 supporters at the event gave Hillary Clinton a standing ovation. Among the celebrities present were singer Billy Joel and Nobel prize winning author Toni Morrison.
"Without your support, there is no way I could have won this election," said the new senator, who won the seat vacated by veteran New York Democrat Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who retired.
"I will never forget that honor that has been bestowed on me," Hillary Clinton said -- NEW YORK (AFP)
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