Once again Attorney General Marc Dann is in the news, and once again it has nothing to do with his duties as the state's top crime fighter. The resignation of his fiscal watchdog inside the attorney general's office, as first reported by the Columbus Dispatch, prompts this question: Does Dann have a blind spot when it comes to hiring key personnel, or are he and members of his inner circle simply incompetent?

The resignation of Rick Houze, the internal auditor paid $90,000 a year, for not indicating on his rxc3x83xc2xa9sumxc3x83xc2xa9 that he was no longer a licensed accountant, follows the firing of Rick Alli of Youngstown as his top law enforcement aide and the firing of his deputy security director, David L. Nelson, when a criminal background check uncovered a 1976 involuntary manslaughter conviction.

The perception of the attorney general's office being in disarray is fast becoming reality.

The next subject of inquiry by investigative reporters may well be Dann himself. His communications chief, Leo Jennings, is already being scrutinized by at least one state newspaper.

Republicans are having a field day with the trials and tribulations of the Democratic officeholder. They hold him responsible for their political misfortunes.