Meek Takes Aim at Drilling, Crist

With two new polls released today showing his campaign for the U.S. Senate mired in a distant third place behind independent Gov. Charlie Crist and Republican former House Speaker Marco Rubio, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, the leading Democrat in the race, took on BP and backers of offshore drilling in a speech to the America's Future Now conference.

"Where are the conservatives, the 'Drill, Baby, Drill' people, now?" demanded Meek.

"Every last dividend should go into this cleanup effort, said Meek. Corporate greed should not go unpunished. Individuals should go to jail, and people should pay the price for this disaster they have caused."

Meek even told the conference, being held by the Campaign for Americas Future, some interesting information if the football scouts decide to draft the former FAMU lineman. "BP will not sleep well because they know there's a 6-foot-3-inch 250-pound member of Congress that's thinking about them and will make them accountable in this disaster, said Meek.

Meeks campaign is now reminding Floridians that Crist was a backer of offshore drilling and even campaigned with Sarah Palin in New Port Richey when the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate called for more drilling.

Meek, who commands less than 50 percent support of Democrats in a poll released by Quinnipiac University, is having a hard time shoring up his base. For Meek to have any chance in the race, he is going to have to stop Democrats from supporting Crist -- and may have found an issue to do just that.