The people of Florida havent been so mad at a British guy since English General James Oglethorpe launched a barrage of cannonballs at the Castillo de San Marcos at St. Augustine in 1740.
Tony Hayward, the chairman of British Petroleum, is the current whipping boy, and the barrage is now going the other way and will continue this week as nearly every Florida politician running for office launches an attack on the company for the oil it has sent to the states money-making shoreline.
This week, Gov. Charlie Crist is likely to continue have the best venue to vent the anger legitimately being felt by many of his constituents with his choice of TV slots and hell likely be all over the TV news railing against BP and all over the Panhandle.
But two of the prominent candidates for governor, Republican Bill McCollum and Democrat Alex Sink, will also get a chance to be tough at the Cabinet meeting to which Sink has publicly invited Hayward, but at which he so far hasnt agreed to appear.
Unlike Oglethorpes siege of St. Augustine, which lasted only a month, this looks like it may be a summer of siege by the oil still leaking from the BP rig. Because of that, the Cabinet is also considering meeting regularly through the summer instead of taking its usual break. McCollum suggested that this week, and his co-panelists will consider that on Tuesday.
The Florida Supreme Court is in session this week before it goes on vacation for July and August. The majority of the cases are Florida Bar grievances and death penalty cases.
