A number of Florida Republicans, chiefly Gov. Charlie Crist, have changed their tune on offshore oil drilling.

Not AG Bill McCollum.

"I'm personally not in favor of drilling off Florida's coast," he told reporters this morning. He said he agreed with moves to explore new tracts very far away, but "any kind of wholesale opening of the coastline of Florida to drilling is just unnecessary to the bottom line of the energy needs of our country and a risk to the beaches and tourism and the beauty of our state."

McCollum said the state needs to foster more nuclear power. "I do believe we've had too many regulations for far too long, strangling that," he said, calling for a "special effort" to expedite requests from utilities.

Crist has said he agrees with Sen. John McCain's call to lift the federal ban on offshore drilling, but put the decision in state hands.