Miss. governor: False perception of oil disaster is hurting tourism in his state

WASHINGTON – WASHINGTON (AP) — The governor of Mississippi says his state is not as bad off as its neighbors when it comes to the oil spill.

Gov. Haley Barbour said on "Fox News Sunday" that "we have had virtually no oil" wash up on the Mississippi coast.

He says media reports are creating a false perception that "the whole coast from Florida to Texas is ankle-deep in oil" and are hurting tourism.

He says that's the real economic damage, not losses from the actual spill. He noted that the first fishery closure in Mississippi didn't come until very recently.

A BP rig exploded nearly seven weeks ago and ruptured a wellhead on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico. The resulting oil slick has washed ashore in several Gulf states.