It sounds ready-made for late-night comedy: Why are House leaders having such a hard time finding people to sit on an outside ethics panel?

It would be unfair to say there are no upstanding, honorable, discreet, thoughtful people available to do the job. But people willing to do it — well, that’s another matter.

And then there’s the question of whether a qualified person can be found who is not disqualified by lobbying — panel members cannot be registered lobbyists.

Aides to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader John A. Boehner report that it’s been a chore to find people who fit the bill, and neither leader has gotten to the point of being able to show the other side a list of possibilities for the required signoff.

Nearly eight weeks into the process, Pelosi, D-Calif., has some people in mind, aides say, but has not called them yet. Boehner, R-Ohio, also has some ideas but hasn’t gotten to the conversation stage.

Aides in both offices, though, say they’re working on it — compiling names, sifting through the possibilities and making initial overtures.