The Obama transition team is sending a seven-page, 63-item questionnaire (pdf) to all candidates for high-ranking positions in the upcoming administration. That's fine and dandy, until you consider that Obama might not hire someone with his own record into his administration.

The questionnaire asks about ties to Fannie Mae, considering government involvement in the ongoing crisis. Obama was the second highest recipient of Fannie Mae-related contributions in the history of the U.S. Senate.

The questionnaire also asks about real estate and business transactions. Obama got his luxurious Chicago home thanks to a real estate deal struck with convicted felon Tony Rezko.

And get this - there is also a question about the immigration status of hired help. That helped sink a former Bush cabinet nominee, and is seen by the Obama team as having potential to sink his nominees as well. So let me get this straight: the Obama team is worried that cabinet members might have once had an undocumented maid clean their kitchens, while Obama's own aunt is an illegal alien in Boston? And never mind that she illegally contributed money to his campaign as well - which wasn't returned until the story made headlines.

But my favorite question is #61:

Have you had an association with any person, group or business venture that could be used - even unfairly - to impugn or attack your character and qualifications for government service?

Yes, it would be awful for cabinet members to have had bad associations in the past, but completely acceptable for the president to have been closely associated with a terrorist and a felon, and to have been spiritually guided by an anti-American bigot.

I'm glad to see Obama is holding his appointees to a standard he wouldn't hold himself to.