Both the Washington Post and the Clarion-Ledger are saying that Republican Governor Haley Barbour is expected to announce, any minute now, that he has tapped GOP Rep. Roger Wicker to replace Trent Lott in the Senate.

As the story develops, should Wicker in fact be the appointment, there is something in Wicker's closet that we ought to highlight.  He is a Republican Congressman so, of course, there is a matter of questionable ethics hanging around Wicker's neck:

Apparently, Wicker and aerospace company Aurora Flight Sciences have a questionably cozy relationship. In 2006, Aurora was Wicker's top campaign contributor; and, then in 2007, Wicker secures a juicy little earmark for Aurora. The relationship is furthered by the fact that Wicker's former Chief of Staff works for the lobbying outfit that lobbies for, you guessed it, Aurora. With Trent Lott and Chip Pickering expected to bolt to K Street, and with Republican corruption stories again flowing like water, this story has the potential to blow up should Wicker get appointed to the Senate or run for the seat opened up by Lott's resignation. Stay tuned! (HT: Cotton Mouth)

With the media more focused on horseraces than ethical issues, it is incumbent upon us to highlight what appears to be this latest section in The Republican Appearance of Impropriety Handbook's chapter on trading earmarks for campaign contributions.