Voters in Louisiana ousted indicted Democratic Rep. William J. Jefferson on Saturday, electing instead a Republican attorney who will be the first Vietnamese American in Congress.Dollar Bill Jefferson shouldn't have won re-election in 2006 when the story broke, but I suppose everyone's entitled to a lifeline, and Hurricane Katrina was apparently his. Still, for doing something so brazenly stoopid as hiding his stash behind a package of Eggo's, Jefferson deserves the time he'll inevitably get. Whether this means the end of his brief run as one of this site's banner images is to be determined.
Unofficial results showed Anh "Joseph" Cao denying Jefferson a 10th term. Republicans made an aggressive push to take the seat from Jefferson, 61, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery, money laundering and misusing his congressional office.
Cao, 41, won Louisiana's majority-black 2nd Congressional District, which covers much of New Orleans. Just 11% of registered voters in the district are Republicans. Turnout appeared to be light.
Voters reelected Jefferson in 2006 even after news of the bribery scandal broke. Late-night TV comics made him the butt of jokes after federal agents said they had found $90,000 in alleged bribe money hidden in his freezer.
Cao came to the United States as a child after the fall of Saigon in 1975 and went on to earn degrees in philosophy, physics and law.
The election was one of two in Louisiana postponed because of Hurricane Gustav.
Good riddance.
Also done in by one too many penitentiary chances was OJ Simpson. Like most of ya'll, I couldn't care less about this loser, but after listening to the proprietor of my favorite BBQ joint preen about this endlessly the other day, I couldn't help but wonder how this is playing elsewhere in white America.
I still vividly remember the day OJ got off in 95'. I was with a few hundred or so other folks in my
And the student union erupted in thunderous cheers like we'd just won the MEAC championship or something. Seriously, Negroes were hi-fiving and lifting their hands to the heavens in praise. And honestly, just as I didn't get it that day, I don't really understand why some white people are damn near dancing in the streets now.
Saying "the original OJ verdict" was a "victory for Black folks who'd been screwed by the legal system for decades" is ludicrous. That's the official justification most people gave for their elation, but to me that logic smells like ass. OJ getting off was a victory for nobody but OJ, and well, okay, prolly Johnny Cochran too. But his acquittal didn't free any black man who'd ever been wrongfully convicted. It didn't change mandatory minimum sentencing laws. It didn't get rid of three strikes legislation. It did nothing but clear a sneering jerk of a crime he'd somehow convinced even himself that he didn't commit.
Thirteen years later, OJ apparently forgot his dumb ass was on thin ice. Instead of either calling the cops to retrieve his stolen goods, or simply lettin' sh*t ride, he grabbed some bumbling goons, strapped up, and now is likely spending the rest of his life in the pokey.
Good riddance to you too. Don't drop the soap.
Question: On a scale of 1-10, just how dumb is OJ Simpson? How did you react to the 1995 verdict? Just how little do you care about Friday's verdict? If you had $90k in illegal cash, where would you hide it?
O.J. Simpson Sentenced to 9 Years for Hotel Robbery [Bloomberg]
Indicted Louisiana Rep. William J. Jefferson loses reelection bid [LA Times]
