Congratulations, Newly Elected Representative Joseph Cao (R) of Louisiana!

The American Dream is alive and well.

Louisiana voters have ousted indicted corrupto-crat Bill Jefferson and elected instead a Republican attorney, Vietnamese-American Anh "Joseph" Cao.

Here is a bit more about the loser and the new winner:

Mr. Cao, promising ethics and integrity, offered voters a break from the scandals associated with the incumbent and his siblings, several of whom have also been indicted.

Mr. Jefferson, 61, awaits trial on federal counts of soliciting bribes, money laundering and other offenses. Prosecutors contend that he used his Congressional office to broker deals in African nations, and say he received more than $500,000 in bribes.

Mr. Cao, 41 and known as Joseph, fled Vietnam at age 8 after the fall of Saigon. His father was a army officer who was later imprisoned for seven years by the Communist government. Mr. Cao, who has never held elective office, has been an advocate for the small but prominent Vietnamese community here and has a master’s degree in philosophy from Fordham University.

“Knocking Jefferson off is something you don’t want to bet on,” Elliott Stonecipher, a Louisiana political analyst, said Saturday night. “These elections continue to show us that there is a smaller, different and more progressive New Orleans that is emerging.”

Well, there's some hope and change!  Plus, what a great day for the American Dream, as a former refugee is now a Congressman.  Here is his website.  Mr. Cao, by the way, grew up in Houston, Texas, and also holds a bachelor's degree in physics from Baylor and a law degree from Loyola.

Mr. Cao will be the first Vietnamese-American in Congress.  Congratulations, sir!  Try not to get sucked into DC culture; bring some fresh perspective.

Hm, those Louisiana voters have been interesting indeed.  First they choose Bobby Jindal and now Joseph Cao...