Piyush Bobby Jindal is Louisiana's 55th Governor

Bobby Jindal was sworn in as 55th Governor of Louisiana at Baton Rouge

Jindal said, "We come to the steps of this historic Capitol today to celebrate not just an election, but a new beginning. We are here not for one man to take an oath, but for one people to make commitments to each other."

"For reasons none of us can understand or fully appreciate, history has placed all of us --every living Louisianan, those within her borders and without -- in a position previous generations could only envy."

Bobby Jindal, the 36-year-old son of Indian immigrants, was sworn in today as Louisiana’s 55th Governor and immediately moved to make good on a campaign promise, saying he will call a February special legislative session on ethics to help cleanse the hurricane-battered state’s corrupt image.

Louisiana’s first nonwhite Governor since Reconstruction, the nation’s first elected Indian-American Governor and the nation’s youngest sitting Governor, Jindal pledged to overcome the stereotype of the state as a haven for cronyism and self-serving politicians.

Jindal declared that "under the spotlight of the world, with generosity from many and a clear call to common purpose, we have the opportunity to make a lasting and positive change."

We have the opportunity to make this change not over the course of decades. but in short order," he added.

Jindal said "we have the opportunity -- born of tragedy but embraced still the same -- to make right decades of failure in government."

He noted that "you have often heard me say that we do not have a poor state, but a state with poor leadership. That we do not have a state stuck in the past, but leaders who were unconcerned with the future."

Jindal argued that "if we are honest with ourselves, we can all agree that so many of the stereotypes rang true."

"In our past, too many politicians looked out for themselves. The many arms of state and local government did not get results. And the world took note. Those stereotypes cost us credibility. They cost us investment. They cost us jobs."

He exhorted, "Let us all resolve, Democrats and Republicans, North Louisiana and South, leaders of all races and religions, elected and un-elected, let us all resolve that era ends today."

Jindal predicted that "we can build a Louisiana where our leaders and our people set the highest standards and hold every member of our government accountable." He ended with his now signature line, with the crowd vowing along with him that, "We can change, we must change, we will change."

Source: Rediff, The Town Talk