Will this week's special legislative session bring responsible public policy debate or crass political posturing?

After 85 days, BP finally capped its gushing well in the Gulf of Mexico, sending the company's stock soaring and lifting the spirits of beleaguered coastal communities.

With 30 state banks failing since 2007, and BP oil lapping at Gulf shores, the Florida Bankers Association is pleading for relief from Washington.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio floated the creation of a "Gulf Empowerment Zone" Monday while dismissing Gov. Charlie Crist's cleanup efforts as a "photo op."

"The economic impact of this spill is as big as the environmental impact," Rubio said during a teleconference in which he hammered both the Obama administration and Crist, his chief rival in this fall's U.S. Senate race.

The oily mess in the Gulf threatens to get messier if and when Floridians start making claims for damages. Insurance industry experts cite several scenarios for compensation, as well as many slippery pitfalls.

Warily watching Florida's 770 miles of Gulf coastline -- as well as the political polls -- Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday asked BP America's president to send $50 million more to the state.

"Due to the extensive nature of (the Deepwater Horizon oil spill), Florida's state agencies and local governments have incurred significant costs associated with planning and preparing for potential impacts," Crist wrote to Lamar McKay.