Talk about an expensive date ...

I know it will come as a shock to those of us who know how deeply Katherine Harris values her faith and integrity, but she seems to have gotten herself mixed up with some rather nefarious characters ... I'm sure it's just a big misunderstanding, though, right, Kitty?

A campaign contributor who once wined and dined former Rep. Katherine Harris agreed Wednesday to pay a $1 million fine -- the second-largest in the Federal Election Commission's 32-year history -- for breaking campaign laws by funneling corporate contributions to Harris and another member of Congress.

The fine came as defense contractor Mitchell Wade reached a settlement with the FEC, acknowledging that he used $78,000 in corporate funds to reimburse employees and their spouses for contributing to Harris, a Sarasota Republican who lost a 2006 race for U.S. Senate, and Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Va.

My goodness. Harris in the mix with Mitchell Wade and Virgil Goode? You remember Wade, don't you? He's the guy who pleaded guilty to bribing disgraced former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Of Course) of California. As for Goode, you may recall his bigoted rant about Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), a Muslim, using the Koran for his swearing-in ceremony. So, that's a real bunch of winners you're hanging out with, Kitty.

On the campaign trail in 2006, Harris acknowledged that Wade had picked up a $2,800 dinner tab when the two dined at the upscale Citronelle restaurant in Washington. She said then that the bill was so high because Wade bought several expensive bottles of wine to take home and that she had expected her campaign to "reimburse" Wade for her share of the meal. She said she would give $100 to charity -- the cost she calculated for her part of dinner.

Wade time was angling for multimillion-dollar government contract. Harris sponsored, but did not secure, a $10 million earmark that would have benefited MZM.

Some years ago in Tallahassee, I met with a member of Gov. Bush's cabinet. When I tried to pick up the tab for lunch, the cabinet member demurred and explained that because of finance rules, we would have to pay for our own meals separately. It's kind of surprising to me, therefore, that a member of Congress wouldn't know that allowing a lobbyist to pick up the tab for a $2,800 meal might be illegal.

Or maybe she did know and just didn't care? It would be irresponsible not to speculate ...