D.D. 07/06/05

Representative Harold Ford Jr. who has represented a Memphis Congressional seat for most of his adult life leads all other contenders in campaign spending to replace Sen. Bill Frist in 2006. Ford's spending includes lavish restaurants, hotel bills, and even cost of a limo service. Nothing surprising there, but what is surprising is that Ford would endorse public financing for political fundraising, especially considering his efforts to distance himself from his indicted-for-corruption uncle. Ford, speaking about his spending on fundraising, said, "I’ve had fund-raisers at the restaurant down there before, at the hotel, on a couple of different occasions...I wish that we could do this fund-raising through public financing."