Alphonso Jackson, HUD’s tough-talking chief, might have spoken a little too bluntly in Dallas in April. Speaking before a gathering of business leaders, Jackson said that he had denied a government contract to an executive because the man mentioned that he disliked President Bush and his policies. Making contract decisions for such political reasons is flagrantly illegal. Jackson later said he had been speaking about an imaginary situation, but we’ll see: HUD’s inspector general is investigating the case.