Crist says he'd have voted for health care, then retracts-'I misspoke'

In an Orlando television interview, Gov. Charlie Crist told an interviewer he would have voted for the health care reform plan proposed by the Obama administration-a dizzying reversal of his previous position-but then retracted the comment, saying he misspoke.

In an interview with Scott Harris of CFLN in Orlando, asked about the health care bill, Crist said, "I would have voted for it but I think it can be done better, I really do."

That reverses Crist's position, stated on his web site, plus other past comments including his support of Attorney General Bill McCollum's lawsuit against the health care legislation.

Crist's opponents, Republican Marco Rubio and Democrat Kendrick Meek, both pounced on Crist's reversal and re-reversal -- Meek saying Crist has "political amnesia" and Rubio saying, "This is getting ridiculous ... [Crist] doesn't actually care about health care, he only cares about getting himself elected."

Even Crist supporters would have to acknowledge he's shown flexibility in his views since he began becoming alienated from the Republican Party, but this reversal is in a different category.

It seems comparable to the time Crist told a television interview he never supported Obama's stimulus package. In fact, he had been well-documented as supporting it, which newspapers immediately pointed out. In subsequent interviews, Crist has readily acknowledged having supported the stimulus.

Shortly after Rubio put out a news release on Crist's statement, the Crist campaign issued a statement saying Crist misspoke. The statement:

"Apparently, based on an interview this afternoon, there may be some confusion regarding my position on health care. If I misspoke, I want to be abundantly clear: the health care bill was too big, too expensive, and expanded the role of government far too much. Had I been in the United States Senate at the time, I would have voted against the bill because of unacceptable provisions like the cuts to the Medicare Advantage program. But being an independent, I have the freedom to be an honest broker for the people of Florida without regard for political party, and the reality is this: despite its serious flaws, the health care bill does have some positive aspects.

"Repeal must be accompanied by a responsible substitute - repeal without passage of a substitute law protecting those with pre-existing conditions, closing the prescription drug donut hole for seniors, and allowing parents to keep their children on their insurance coverage until age 26 would be wrong. While I would not have supported the legislation, we have to recognize the positive components and work together across party lines to make our health care system more affordable for both consumers and the government."

To see a full version of the interview, check this clip and go to about 4:50. This shows Crist going on to say other things he's said about the health care reform in the past-that it contains some good aspects he favors and others he doesn't favor, for example.