Charlie Crist's Special Session, Ban on Drilling Create a 'Net Loss'

Charlie Crist might want to ask himself if the benefits outweigh the costs when it comes to his oil-disaster response. He's being criticized by both Republicans and Democrats for limiting the special session to only focusing on a constitutional ban on oil drilling.

The fact is, it's already illegal to drill for oil off Florida's coast (something Crist himself admitted in an interview on Fox News). Even if the ban had been in place before April, it wouldn't have done anything to prevent the BP oil disaster.

Marco Rubio's campaign released an e-mail today pointing out the effects of the governor's special session and his plea for a constitutional amendment, calling it "nothing more than another Washington-style political gimmick."

Here are some of the figures the Rubio camp offers:

• Zero oil spills will be prevented by Charlie Crists constitutional amendment.
• Zero real-world impact of Charlie Crists constitutional amendment banning something already banned in state law
• Zero tourists will re-book their travel to Florida because of Charlie Crists constitutional amendment.
• Zero fishermen in the Panhandle would be helped because of Charlie Crists constitutional amendment.
• Zero claims will be sped up to help impacted Florida Gulf Coast residents and businesses because of Charlie Crists constitutional amendment.
• Zero small businesses will be able to keep their doors open because of a constitutional amendment.
• Four hours between the release of a bad poll for Crist and his call for a political-sideshow special session.
• For Charlie Crist's political photo-op special session, taxpayers will spend $120,000.