Barbour: ‘The coast is clear’

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour lamented Sunday that press coverage of the BP oil spill was hurting his state more than the sludge itself.

“The truth is we have had virtually no oil,” Barbour said on “Fox News Sunday.” “We’ve had a few tar balls but we have a few every year” because of seepage in the Gulf of Mexico.

“The biggest negative impact for us has been the news coverage,” he said, saying that reports had led the “average viewer” to think that the coast from Texas to Florida is “knee deep in oil.”

The lack of perceived distinction is hitting his state hard, the governor said.

“The worst thing for us has been how the tourism season has been hurt,” he said. “The coast is clear; come on down.”