Gov. Charlie Crist is adding a new staffer to his budget shop: Mary Beth Date, wife of S.V. Date, the Palm Beach Post capital bureau chief. Ms. Date starts work around Oct. 1 as an entry level analyst in the Office of Policy and Budget, Crist's office said. She has a degree in business administration and economics from Furman University and will start work at $38,000 a year.

S.V. Date, who writes about Crist extensively, has been the Post capital bureau chief since 1999 and is author of a number of books, including a biography of former Gov. Jeb Bush. Post managing editor Bill Rose said Ms. Date's employment in Crist's office won't present a conflict for Date because "he won't be covering that particular office," the budget unit that deals with health and human services.

-- Steve Bousquet