It appears so encouraging at a time when many Americans are looking desperately for reasons to feel good about their governments and the people in them. But will this only generate more false hope and cause further deterioration of public faith in their officials?

An Associated Press story out of Washington reported that the U.S. House had approved “the most significant changes to its ethics rules in decades” by creating an independent panel to initiate investigations of alleged misconduct by members of the chamber. The new six-member Office of Congressional Ethics would be empowered to initiate reviews of allegations, conduct investigations and report their findings both to the House Ethics Committee and to the public.

Unfortunately, analysts say the 229-182 vote on the measure belies the measure’s controversy in the House. Even with two House members under indictment, two others sent to prison and several others under federal investigation, nearly half the House did not want to submit the body to the scrutiny of a panel not under its control.

Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., had implored: “If you have a single ounce of self preservation, you’ll vote no.”

So the controversy continues with charges from both sides of the aisle. “Ladies and gentleman, we have a new grand jury in the House,” said Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii. “Any referral to the Office of Congressional Ethics will be tantamount to a guilty verdict. Any other conclusion by the ethics committee will be seen as a cover up, I guarantee it.”

Is anyone thinking about protecting the public?

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., forced the measure to a vote, saying: “We are willing to take a chance on something that we might have written differently but something that can strive to remove the doubt in the minds of the American people about the integrity of this body.”

If only that could result.

The new panel is supposed to work somewhat like a grand jury, investigating allegations and forwarding only matters of merit to the ethics committee. Its architects look to the appointment of retired judges and lawyers with strong backgrounds in jurisprudence and a stature to remove partisanship from the group.

The House has more than its share of ethics problems right now and this is a time when a group with clout and a sense of mission could do a lot of good. When politicians of many spheres, such as the disgraced New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, continue to create layer after layer of mistrust about public officials, the citizenry is desperate for positive changes.

It’s unfortunate that the ray of hope triggered by moves like the recent House action so quickly falls victim to political jostling that alters the picture and leaves people more distraught about government than ever.