A smooth-talking confidence trickster makes his way into congress (where the cynical would suggest hed have plenty of company) in this comedy. Thomas Jefferson Johnson (Eddie Murphy) is a con man from Florida who gets the bright idea that a scam artist could make a tidy sum if he was able to get inside the political arena. When a Florida senator named Jeff Johnson dies and a special election is held to replace him, Thomas puts his name on the ballot as Jeff Johnson, and enough confused voters check the ballot for him that he wins the race and is on his way to Washington D.C. Johnson soon finds a mentor in Dick Dodge (Lane Smith), chairman of the Power and Industry Committee, who shows Johnson the ropes on raking in PAC money while the late Mr. Johnsons aide, Reinhardt (Grant Shaud), gives him the inside scoop on how things work in Washington. Johnsons plans are going just as he hoped until he meets Celia Kirby (Victoria Rowell), a volunteer lobbyist and political activist whose father is a noted religious leader, The Rev. Elijah Hawkins (Charles S. Dutton). Johnson quickly becomes smitten with Celia, but its obvious that shes not buying his act, and if he wants to win her heart, hell have to stop fooling people into thinking hes honest and actually be honest. Joe Don Baker and Sheryl Lee Ralph also co-star. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide