To introduce today’s cast of characters, we turn to a Hill piece from last June:

Jim Foster of James Foster and Associates will be in charge of Harris’ direct mail campaign. Harris is also being advised by two lobbyists — Ben McKay of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America and Dan Berger with America’s Community Bankers.

We hear word (thus far unconfirmed) that Mr. McKay and Mr. Berger were overheard at Bobby Van’s the other day selling some friends on their new project: a tell-all book with the working title “The Rise and Fall of Katherine Harris.” Guys, call us — we’ll ghost-write.

On a happier note, the St. Petersburg Times uncovered a little bit of Katy’s love life. Circa 20 years ago, but we take what we can get around here. Harris used to date Charlie Crist, current frontrunner for the Republican nomination for Florida governor. And I’m sure Crist is thrilled that this has come out now. Harris, gracious as ever, says, “he’s the nicest guy. I loooove his mom and dad.”

“I thought she was charming and lovely. We had a nice couple of dinners,” Crist said by phone, pegging the time frame to the late 1980s, when he was working as Connie Mack’s political director. “She has remained a dear friend and she is a great public servant.”

Coupla “nice dinners,” huh? Katy says she met your parents, Charlie. That sounds like it got pretty serious.

Pre-Power Couple: Katherine and Charlie [SPTimes]
Harris Campaign Feels “A Stab in the Back” [The Hill]