Voters in Louisiana ousted indicted Democratic Rep. William J. Jefferson on Saturday, denying Jefferson a 10th term.  Instead, voters elected a Republican attorney who will be the first Vietnamese-American in Congress.

Unofficial results showed Anh “Joseph” Cao winning Louisiana’s black-majority 2nd Congressional District, which includes much of New Orleans.  This defeat was even more stunning considering that just 11% of registered voters in the district are Republicans.  Cao, 41, came to the United States as a child after the fall of Saigon in 1975 and went on to earn degrees in law, philosophy and physics.

Jefferson, 61, has pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery, money laundering and misusing his congressional office.  Voters re-elected Jefferson in 2006 even after the bribery scandal broke.  Jefferson has been the butt of late-night TV comics ever since federal agents found $90,000 in alleged bribe money hidden in his freezer.

Alaska Senator Ted Stevens officially conceded the Senate race to Democrat Mark Begich on Wednesday.  Begich is currently mayor of Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city.

“Given the number of ballots that remain to be counted, it is apparent the election has been decided, and Mayor Begich has been elected,” Stevens said in a news release.  “It was a tough fight that would not have been possible without the help of so many Alaskans — people who I am honored to call my friends.  I wish Mayor Begich and his family well.  My staff and I stand willing to help him prepare for his new position,” Stevens added.

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Recall that famous line from the movie The Matrix: Reloaded:  "What do men with power want?  More power!"

Riding a wave of pessimism against Republicans for a collapsing economy, two wars, and an unpopular Bush administration, the Democrats have added to their power and control in the U.S. Congress.  Although some races are still undecided, Congressional Democrats have gained a strong majority that should enable them to aggressively pursue their political agenda in the coming term.

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America is not happy with its political leaders.  The most recent CBS/New York Times poll shows that Congress has only a 15% approval rating, arguably the lowest approval rating in history.  The economy is collapsing, our country is plunging deeper into debt, energy and food prices are climbing, the Cold War is reheating, and we are fighting two long expensive wars.  Americans are worried, upset and angry.

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