By Bob Morgan, Jr.

While Democrats bask in the earned glory of a decisive victory in the 2008 federal election, the party would do well to head off a perception that it is indifferent to ethical concerns.

There have been a number of stories involving ethically challenged Democrats in 2008. Some, like the demise of New York governor Eliot Spitzer that probably could not have been foreseen, involve an individual's personal demons, and were quickly and appropriately resolved.

On the other hand, there have been cases like Democratic Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson, who, federal agents claim, had $90,000 of bribe money stuffed in the freezer of his home. Congressman Jefferson has not yet been convicted of anything and is, of course, entitled to the presumption of innocence in his upcoming criminal trial. Nevertheless, it seemed most unseemly for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to permit Mr. Jefferson to continue to sit on the House Homeland Security Committee while the felony charges lodged against the Congressman were unresolved. Fortunately, the voters of Mr. Jefferson's district solved this dilemma this month by electing (in a rather stunning upset) Republican Anh "Joseph" Cao to replace Mr. Jefferson.

Another good example is the controversy surrounding Democratic Representative Charles Rangel, currently chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the chamber's principal tax writing panel. To be clear, Congressman Rangel has not been charged with a crime. Nevertheless, Mr. Rangel has been accused of improperly occupying three additional rent controlled apartments in addition to his residence, plus failing to pay hundreds of thousands in taxes on an offshore rental property in the Dominican Republic. And The New York Times recently reported that Mr. Rangel was "instrumental in preserving a lucrative tax loophole" that benefited an oil drilling company, at the same time the company's president was pledging a $1 million contribution to a school named after Mr. Rangel. (Mr. Rangel denies the accusation.) Mr. Rangel is the subject of an ethics investigation but will not give up his chairmanship, a position supported by Speaker Pelosi.

Now, of course, we are hearing sensational charges about Democratic Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. According to a federal complaint (which of course has not been proven in court), Mr. Blagojevich was instrumental in attempting to sell or barter an appointment to the United States Senate to replace president-elect Obama in exchange for campaign contributions, a job for himself and/or his wife, including a possible cabinet or ambassadorial appointment for himself. Although it seems quite unlikely that President-elect Obama was in any way involved in wrongdoing, the exact role of his aides in the discussions is distinctly less clear. And the continuing involvement of Illinois and Chicago Democrats in patterns of alleged corruption (for example, Mr. Blagojevich has long been under federal investigation) should be troubling to the party.

Will any of this have any immediate effect on Mr. Obama's (or indeed the Democrats') popularity rating? Very doubtful. Mr. Obama and his party will no doubt go through a honeymoon period for the next few months. But, as Republicans learned with their scandals (think Jack Abramoff, Duke Cunningham, Ted Stevens and indeed, Mr. Blagojevich's predecessor, George Ryan), voters will sooner or later exact a price upon politicians and parties who are indifferent to ethical improprieties.