Dean Barkley, Arianna's campaign manager, has resigned from her gubernatorial campaign. Barkley had been a tobacco lobbyist in Minnesota, and he and Arianna felt that his past activities might hurt her chances.

Barkley's role in Huffington's campaign was questioned after the Los Angeles Times reported last week that he is a lobbyist for major tobacco, gambling and waste-hauling companies. Huffington said she did not know that when she hired him.

Huffington's campaign has gotten off to a rocky start. The syndicated columnist, who lives in a home in Brentwood reportedly valued at $7 million, also has been dogged by reports that she paid only $771 in federal taxes the past two years. Huffington has called the stories unfair, noting that she paid $98,000 in property taxes and $50,000 in payroll taxes during that period.

Arianna would do better to ignore the tax charges than to give such a lame --and insulting--excuse. Every homeowner pays property taxes and every employer pays payroll taxes. What does that have to do with her obligation to pay income tax? Not to mention a significant portion of the payroll taxes she paid likely came from amounts withheld from her employees under FICA and the like.

If Arianna had so many business ventures that lost money that she ended up with only a $771 tax bill, the citizens of California justifiably might conclude she can't manage her own finances, let alone those of such a big state.