toledoblade.com --

WHEN in the last election Democrats spoke of a "culture of corruption" in Washington, few realized they were making a promise.

The Obama Administration is not yet three weeks old but already features a growing collection of ethically challenged officials.

The late night comics have noticed. "There was a huge scientific breakthrough today," said Jay Leno. "Researchers say they are very close to finding someone from Obama's Cabinet who's actually paid their taxes."

Mr. Leno was referring to former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, whose nomination for secretary of health and human services was withdrawn after it was disclosed that he didn't pay $101,000 worth of taxes owed for a car and driver, or $83,000 on consulting income, and Timothy Geithner, who was confirmed as Treasury secretary despite his failure to pay payroll taxes for four years.

Hours before Mr. Daschle withdrew his nomination Tuesday, Nancy Killefer withdrew hers as chief compliance officer when it was revealed that the District of Columbia had placed a lien on her Wesley Heights mansion for failure to pay unemployment compensation tax for a household employee.

Rep. Hilda Solis, (D., Calif.), the nominee for secretary of labor, apparently violated House rules by failing to disclose she was an officer of a group lobbying Congress.

Eric Holder was confirmed as attorney general despite having circumvented Justice Department rules - when he was deputy attorney general in the waning days of the Clinton administration - to obtain a pardon for fugitive financier Marc Rich. In a 2002 report, the House Government Operations Committee described Mr. Holder's behavior in the Rich affair as "unconscionable."

On Jan. 6, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson withdrew as the nominee for secretary of Commerce when it was disclosed that the FBI was investigating him in connection with a "pay-to-play" scandal.

Governor Richardson was, many think, President Obama's second choice. Mr. Obama was thought to have wanted to name Penny Pritzker, his campaign finance chairman, to the Commerce post, but feared that doing so might bring unwelcome scrutiny to her role in the subprime mortgage crisis. (Ms. Pritzker pioneered the nefarious instruments at her now-defunct Superior Bank in suburban Chicago.)

President Obama on Monday chose Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire for the commerce post. So on Wednesday we learn that Mr. Gregg's former legislative director was tangentially involved in the Jack Abramoff scandal.

The most recent candidate in the malleable ethics sweepstakes is Ron Sims, chosen Monday to be deputy secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. As King County (Seattle) executive, Mr. Sims was fined $124,000 for "blatant" violations of Washington state's public records act for failure to release documents having to do with the financing of the stadium where the Seattle Seahawks play. Last month the state supreme court said the fine should be increased.

Congress has turned an indulgent eye to these ethical lapses because there are many in Congress who are guilty of the same, or worse. Charles Rangel (D., N.Y.) remains chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee despite his failure to pay taxes on $75,000 in rental income, and - according to a report issued Wednesday - repeatedly failing to comply with congressional financial disclosure rules.

Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut remains as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee despite having received a sweetheart loan from one of the worst of the subprime mortgage villains.

The Charlotte Observer endorsed Barack Obama for president, but is having second thoughts:

"Two weeks into the Obama presidency, we like his campaign better than his administration," the Observer said Wednesday. "While some of his appointments are outstanding, others were either badly botched or reflect a half-hearted commitment to the change principle central to his ballot box success."

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