Gov. Charlie Crist said Tuesday he opposes the government-run "public option" element of any national health care system, an idea Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has endorsed in part to placate the wishes of liberal interest groups. Crist refused to be pinned down on whether Florida should take advantage of a proposed opt-out provision eligible to states.

Parroting a talking point used by national Republicans, Crist said: "My view of it is, the public option, I think, may be sort of a Trojan horse to a government takeover of health care and I think our administration has demonstrated that that's not what we favor, nor is it what Floridians really want. I think they want good options in the private sector that offer good, affordable health care."

Reminded that he favored a government takeover of Florida's private property insurance market, Crist said: "It is and it isn't." Citizens Property Insurance has created more competition in the private market, he said, and rates have dropped by 16 percent on average, and "we've been blessed by not having any hurricanes the last three years."

Questioned on the public option subject a second time, Crist said: "I would prefer that it didn't pass on public option. I don't support it." 

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