Toasting Obama: Courteney & Jen Celebrate in L.A.; Oprah, Brad on Hand in Chicago

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Toasting Obama: Courteney & Jen Celebrate in L.A.; Oprah, Brad on Hand in Chicago

Wed., Nov. 5, 2008 6:57 AM PST by Natalie Finn and Ken Baker

While Oprah Winfrey and Brad Pitt opted for the live version, a couple of Friends got together to watch their guy win it all via satellite.

Courteney Cox and hubby David Arquette hosted a Barack Obama victory party Tuesday night at their Beverly Hills home, E! News has learned.

Jennifer Aniston, John Mayer, Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher were among those in attendance, and the bubbly was flowing liberally (pardon the pun) as Arquette made the rounds with his guests.

"David was in such a good mood, he walked outside his gate and poured champagne for the paparazzi," one insider said.

Miles away in Chicago, meanwhile, the party was just getting started, as Obama addressed thousands of supporters gathered along the city's waterfront.

Among them: Pitt and a visibly emotional Winfrey, who told a local radio station this morning that she already had her gown for Obama's inauguration ball all picked out.

And now, she can cut off the tags.

"It feels like hope won," Winfrey told the BBC. "It feels like there's a shift in consciousness. It feels like something really big and bold has happened here, like nothing ever in our lifetimes did we expect this to happen."

The good vibes continued to radiate all over the country, as high-profile Obama supporters started publicly reacting to the good news.

"I congratulate President-elect Obama on his historic victory, and now it's time to begin unifying the country so we can take on the extraordinary challenges that this generation faces," read a statement released by George Clooney, who was reluctant to campaign for the Illinois senator because he didn't want to hurt Obama's chances—but who wasted no time in speaking up after the fact.

"Isn't this incredible news?" Usher told Access Hollywood. "Man, this is incredible. It's so incredible to see that this historical thing has happened, man. Before it was a thought of what happens if he doesn't win. The public service that went into this and the encouragement that came out of it, it's just incredible to see it happen."

(Originally published Nov. 4, 2008, at 10:36 p.m. PT.)