Yesterday, Hillary Clinton, who got a 16-1 vote of confidence to be the next Secretary of State from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, addressed the Senate for possibly the last time as a colleague. She told them, "I thank you. You have been wonderful teachers and mentors and very good friends."

Clinton thanked her staff and also joked about her fellow Senator from New York, "I know whenever I'm missing Chuck, all I have to do is turn on the television -- especially on Sunday in New York." And at her fundraiser last night, she said, "I will continue, along with Bill and Chelsea to live in New York."

You can see a list of Clinton's Senate accomplishments here (PDF) and she also issued a letter to the New York State public. The full text is after the jump, but here's an excerpt, "I may not have always been a New Yorker, but know that I will always be one. New York, its spirit and its people, will always be part of me and part of the work I do. And so I want to express to you my profound appreciation and my enduring optimism that the best days for our state and our nation are still ahead."

Dear Friend,

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for the honor of serving you in the United States Senate and to share with you some of the work and accomplishments of which we can all be proud.

As I look back on eight years of service in the Senate, I am gratified by all we’ve been able to achieve together at what has been a very difficult time for our state and country. We’ve worked hard to find common ground and deliver creative solutions, often against tough obstacles and even tougher odds.

Serving the people of New York has been the opportunity of a lifetime to continue what has been the work of my life. It is been an honor and a privilege to be your advocate and to make real strides for those who have for too long felt as if they were invisible.

I may not have always been a New Yorker, but know that I will always be one. New York, its spirit and its people, will always be part of me and part of the work I do. And so I want to express to you my profound appreciation and my enduring optimism that the best days for our state and our nation are still ahead.

Sincerely yours,

Hillary Rodham Clinton