Gov. Crist changes his mind on oil drilling off coast

According to the Associated Press, Gov. Charlie Crist has changed his mind about considering oil drilling off the coast of Florida following a flight over the Gulf of Mexico. The governor said he was horrified by the 80-by-42 mile oil spill caused by the collapse of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig last week. He called the oil slick "ginormous."

Initially he opposed oil drilling. But within the past year the governor changed his position and until recently said he was willing to consider drilling off Florida's coast if it could be done safely.

It is still too early to tell how the spill will ultimately affect the debate over whether to permit drilling in the Gulf -- a move that had been supported by the White House, a large number of Florida legislators, and a chorus of supporters in Congress. A bill introduced in 2009 and again in 2010 in the state Legislature would have allowed drilling closer to shore by a vote of the Florida Cabinet. The legislation failed to make it to the governor's desk.