Rick Scott, the Republican flooding TV airwaves in Florida, said today that he would oppose a constitutional ban on offshore drilling that Gov. Charlie Crist wants lawmakers to put on the November ballot.

“We need to protect our beaches, break our dependency on foreign oil and hold oil companies accountable when there are problems,” Scott said. “As governor, I’ll look to strike a balance between responsible exploration that takes every precaution and is far enough from our shores while holding oil companies accountable for their mistakes.”

Attorney General Bill McCollum, the front-runner in the GOP primary, say he opposes offshore drilling but wants a loophole in the constitutional amendment to allow for safe drilling in the future.

Scott also drew another distinction with McCollum today. Scott said he supports for the controversial Arizona immigration law. McCollum has said Arizona’s law should not be replicated in Florida.

“The Arizona law is a common sense enforcement of already existing law. If you break the law then law enforcement should be able to ask for identification that shows you are in the United States legally,” Scott said.

UPDATE: We’re a little slow on McCollum’s position on immigration. McCollum’s campaign brings us up to speed: “Leaders in Arizona rightfully made changes to the state’s new law to crack down on illegal immigration, addressing concerns about the law. He supports the changes that bring the law more in line with what Florida has worked toward – under Attorney General McCollum’s leadership – in expanding the federal 287(g) program.”

Tags: immigration, offshore drilling, oil spill, Rick Scott

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