McCollum won't support raising oil damage cap he voted for

As the oil continues to spill into the Gulf of Mexico, the talk in Washington involves the federal $75 million liability cap on damages, which was approved by Congress in 1990. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson wants to raise the ceiling to $10 billion.

It's worth noting that then-Congressman Bill McCollum voted for the cap as a part of the Oil Pollution Prevention, Response, Liability, and Compensation Act, which won unanimous approval.

The vote puts McCollum, now the attorney general and a candidate for governor, in a precarious spot as the clean up is sure to linger throughout the campaign season. His rival, CFO Alex Sink, was quick to notice.

So does McCollum support raising the federal cap he voted for? His campaign wouldn't say. A campaign spokeswoman said it's a potential legal matter for the state.

Attorney General spokeswoman Sandi Copes also could not comment on the issue. But she said a lawsuit filed under state law would not fall prey to the federal cap.