At the very least, he resigned.

That's about the best that can be said about state Rep. Galen Fox and the mess he's in.

Compared with former state Rep. Brian Blundell, who pleaded no contest to fourth-degree sexual assault and then had the unmitigated nerve to seek re-election, Fox's decision yesterday to step down showed some sense of propriety.

Compared with newly appointed Rep. Bev Harbin, who refused to step down even after her unpaid taxes and prior convictions for passing bad checks were revealed, Fox spoke of the people in the Waikiki district he represents and what would be in their best interests.

Compared with former state Rep. Nobu Yonamine, who was arrested for a sloppy, frat boy case of drunken driving, vowed that day to resign his seat in the House but later changed his mind and even ran for re-election, Fox seems to have the shame appropriate to his situation.

But you know things are bad when you can even be compared to Blundell, Harbin and Yonamine, favorably or otherwise.

Before the bombshell dropped about Galen Fox, the big news of the day was that Neil Abercrombie wasn't going to run for governor. Which everybody knew anyway.

But then came word that Fox had been convicted in a Los Angeles federal court on a misdemeanor sexual assault charge and was resigning his seat in the Legislature.

The details were terribly salacious: A woman in her 20s in the next seat on a plane waking to find a stranger's hand under her blanket. That it happened on an airline flight and thus comes under federal jurisdiction makes it all the more weird and serious. This wasn't a crime of freaky-but-mutual consent. The woman was sleeping. How uji is that?!

Fox says he fought the charges but the judge believed the accuser, so there you go.

But at least he had the good sense to step down.

KITV reported that Fox told them earlier yesterday that he would not resign, but that after Fox met with the governor, he changed his mind. KITV later amended its report, adding that Lingle's office denied asking Fox to resign.

As if that would have been a misstep on the governor's part. She absolutely should have asked him to resign. Not just asked, but ordered. She should have done it with one hand on her hip and one finger pointing right between his eyes.

Whether he stepped down on his own or Lingle made him do it, at least, at the very least, he'll be gone for the next session. Betcha Lingle does a painstaking background check on the person she'll name as his replacement, something a bit more detailed than Bob Awana asking, "So what, you ever did anything that will make us shame?"

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.