Maybe Tony Hall needs to put a yellow sticky on his campaign credit card and label it "FOR CAMPAIGN USE ONLY" -- the SF Ethics Commission has decided to proceed on charges against the former city supervisor based on the alleged misuse of funds in his star-crossed attempt to run for mayor last year, and his defense is that he used the wrong credit card.

Namely, that $320 of what Tony Hall characterized as "office supplies," purchased at a Virginia City, Nevada store called "The Old Red Garter?" He now says he accidentally used his campaign credit card instead of his personal one when buying Western-style purses for his daughters, and claims he paid his campaign back as soon as he discovered the error. Maybe the campaign credit card got miles?

Hall also admits that he accidentally used campaign funds to pay for meals and gas after he dropped out of the mayoral race (which, you may recall, was because he said he couldn't raise enough money to run). However, Hall denies the rest of the Ethics Commission's allegations (including the charge that he used campaign funds to pay back a $12,000 personal loan), claiming that this is all a political conspiracy helmed by Gavin Newsom to further besmirch Hall's reputation. C'mon, Tony Hall, Newsom can barely manage to show up for actual political work -- you think Gavin's going to make more work for himself?

Picture of a cowboy hat and lasso from the Old Red Garter website.