Alphonso Jackson resigned today as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, becoming the latest Bush administration official to leave under a cloud. No word on a replacement.

Jackson, who most Americans couldn't name in a bar bet, is under investigation by the FBI. He allegedly helped a friend who was paid $392,000 by HUD in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and allegedly punished the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) for nixing a deal with another friend, the record producer/developer Kenny Gamble, according to The Associated Press. The PHA filed a lawsuit.

"At a congressional hearing this month, Jackson repeatedly refused to answer questions about the Philadelphia redevelopment deal," the story said. "Last year, the inspector general at Jackson's department found what it called 'some problematic instances' involving HUD contracts and grants, including Jackson's opposition to money for a contractor whose executives donated exclusively to Democratic candidates."

Jackson was a disgrace who should have been forced out months ago. Instead, the Bush administration stood by its man even though most of Washington was calling for his head. This is particularly unfortunate since the American people need HUD at a time of turmoil in the housing market.

Let's hope that the administration can find a skilled, competent HUD leader who can help the agency become the eyes and ears for the government's efforts to deal with the subprime mortgage crisis. Almost anybody would be a significant improvement.

Notice how this announcement came out at about the same time as the Administration's overhaul of financial services regulation. This was not an accident. Bush officials are hoping that the media will focus on that rather than yet another in a never-ending series of scandals.