Former comedy writer is Deutsch press chief

Roy Teicher made it big in the other Hollywood as a writer for The Tonight Show, Newhart, Mork & Mindy and other sitcoms and movies. Now he's going after a little different audience _ Florida voters.

Teicher, 46, is U.S. Senate candidate Peter Deutsch's new press secretary. He hopes he can use his talents to soften the Democratic congressman's reputation as brash and combative.

"I hope I can make it a little bit easier for people to see the side of Peter that is relaxed, amusing, comfortable and self-effacing," Teicher said.

Deutsch and Teicher met at prep school in New York. Deutsch then headed to Swarthmore College, and Teicher, a New York University dropout, to California. After comedy writing, he tried journalism, as a columnist and as a reporter.

"If nothing else, we'll have better jokes than anyone else," Deutsch said.