It’s like the old Charles Atlas ads where the big, muscle-bound bully of the beach kicks sand in the weakling’s face and makes off with his girl. Only in this case, the apparent injustice was well deserved.

Yesterday, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist probably expected a repeat of last year’s cheerleading session from California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at the wrap-up of the climate-change summit in Miami. Instead he had a climate change of his own — from warm to frigid.

Here’s how the Miami Herald reported it:

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the one-time Terminator actor, was in more of a separator mode Thursday in Miami as he joined in the battle against global warming.

He praised most of the environmental efforts of fellow Republican Charlie Crist, but firmly separated himself from Crist’s recent support of off-shore oil drilling.

”Politicians have been throwing around all kinds of ideas in response to the skyrocketing energy prices, from rethinking nuclear power to pushing biofuels and more renewables and ending the ban on off-shore drilling, and it goes on and on the list,” Schwarzenegger told a luncheon crowd of at least 500 at Crist’s second summit on climate change.

Then he added, “but anyone who tells you this will bring down our gas prices immediately and or anytime soon is blowing smoke.”

According to our local NPR station, Crist wrapped up the closing ceremony with alacrity, and took no questions from the media following his public spanking.