This is not change we can believe in.

Former Sen. Tom Daschle just withdrew his bid to become health and human services secretary. It’s about time. The whole mess was becoming increasingly embarrassing for President Obama.

Daschle’s nomination had been in trouble since it was revealed that he had failed to pay more than $120,000 in taxes. Others were grumbling about his work for a lobbying firm since leaving the Senate, though he is not a registered lobbyist, and the large fees he received from special interest groups.

Daschle is the third major nominee to withdraw.

Earlier today Nancy Killefer withdrew her candidacy to be the first chief performance officer for the federal government. The Washington D.C. Department of Employment Services said she had failed to pay unemployment compensation tax for a household employee.

Gov. Bill Richardson pulled out of consideration for commerce secretary because on an investigation into how a donor had gotten a lucrative state contract.

Obama promised a change from business as usual, a pledge that in recent days seemed to be falling aside. First there were the exceptions to the rule against lobbyists, then excuses for Daschle’s tax problems.

Obama was elected with high expectations, ones that are likely too high. He can’t possibly please every one. He will need to compromise. It’s one thing to campaign, another thing to govern.

But we should expect better than this.

PHOTO: Former Sen. Tom Daschle speaks to the media and apologized after a closed session meeting with the Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill yesterday. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)