Oct. 28: In Florida, Fight For Health Coverage May Need Court Action

By Sylvia Gurinsky

There may be something of a public option in the health care bill, after all.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has seen the light (and probably his poll numbers in Nevada) and warmed to the idea. It's still tough to get everyone on board (U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, a former Democrat, has come out in opposition and shown yet again why Vice President Al Gore should have picked Sen. Bob Graham of Florida as his running mate in 2000, but that's another story.).

Should the legislation pass Congress, the fight goes to the states. In Florida, the fight may be with Gov. Dances With Right-Wingers - formerly known as Charlie Crist.

In his misguided attempts to appeal to the extremist fringe of the Republican Party (Every time Crist makes another overture, former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio gets a point closer to him in the polls.), Crist is calling the public option idea a "Trojan Horse."

This from the man who spearheaded the original Trojan Horse, otherwise known as Cover Florida, which doesn't cover much of anything.

A majority of Floridians will likely accept whatever comes out of Congress, since it's bound to be better than what came out of Tallahassee.

Therefore, Floridians should not take any action that Crist and the Florida Legislature might take against any federal law lying down.

If the current legislation passes, the fight over health care coverage may need to go to the courts. If Crist and the legislature say no to Congress, Floridians should fight them for the right - and it is a right - to better health insurance.