Florida governor makes stunning switch on health care

>>> in a complete about-face, republican governor rick scott of florida is backing medicaid expansion under president obama 's health care law . he fought fiercely against the affordable care act for years. now this decision on a key component of the law could bring coverage to an additional 1.3 million floridians. joining miss is chris cofin analysis, and andy dean. good morning.

>> good morning.

>> governor scott relied heavily on the tea party throughout the 2010 campaign, here is what member is telling "the miami herald " this is just another example of republicans lying to floridians. he's the ben ticket arnold to the patriot and the tea party movement.

>> as far as what rick scott is doing, he's running for reelection. he gets three years to bring people in in the medicaid expansion. think of it in two ways. one he's setting up a state exchange. rick scott has said no action but he's not alone. 26 out of the 50 states are not setting up the exchange. another seven are doing a hybrid, so you have 33 of the 50 states saying no. he's saying yes, give me medicaid money for three years while i run for reelection. so all this is is aself serving political move. one thing that people can agree upon, nobody likes rick scott .

>> do you think this is just aself serving political move, or a tacit admission that there are some good things about the affordable care act ?

>> i want to believe he woke up and saw the light that it was a good thing, that basically expanding medicaid to people, you know, who need it the most, because they're not making much money and working jobs that don't provide health care coverage. but the reality is he is facing, you know, a reelection campaign where his poll numbers are in the toilet. the reality hi faces unless he does something dramatic to change his image he'll have a tough reelection. unfortunately i feel it had more to do with politics than policy. that put aside, the good news is you have a million-plus families that will be covered by, you know, the president's health care plan. that's good for the country and good for florida.

>> it's been pointed out there's the pragmatists and the opponents. republican governors embracing parts of the law like chris christie , john kasich , susanna martinez, 13 republican governors have refused to implement major pieces of the law, rick perry , bobby jindal , bob mcdonald of virginia, all holding out, because either, and i'd like your pin -- either they're trying to protect their political futures with their base, or is it something else?

>> well, look, it's part and parcel in the sense that these governors each have short-term political decisions to make, but the long-term aggregate is a financial tickling time bomb . anybody with any business degree or common sense whatsoever knows that fact. the cbo, an independent budget office said there will be a trillion of subsidy costs for obama care. we currently can't afford the government we have, yet a trillion in new liabilities? the issue here is the larger program of obama care. when you look at rick scott and chris christie they'll take bits and piece toss help their individual states. i get that, but the larger program will financially implode until its own weight. that's just an economy reality.

>> well, what kind of positioner these republicans in, who are, you know, rick scott , given the example he just decided he couldn't say no to that amount of money. do you think it's a situation where it's a year or two from now where we'll be litigating this against?

>> republicans will never not litigating this. they've not come to terms with the fact that it is the law of the land . in terms of how it will explode the deficit, put aside the fact that analysis have shown it will cut the deficit. the idea that you're going to provide health care security -- you can laugh about it all you want, but at the end of the day it's not a laughing matter.

>> we're at 16.4 trillion.

>> let me finish.

>> go ahead.

>> you're talking about coverage for people who don't have it.

>> we want to help people.

>> let me finish.

>> the answer is less government.

>> i'm glad that mantra works, the reality is the american people aren't buying it. the last time i saw, if somebody doesn't have health care , they're not going to be able to wish it upon themselves. they need help.

>> in a way chris is right. i'll grant you this. obama care does benefit people at the very top and also people at the very botch, because they're getting something for free they never had before, but the people who are most hurt are the 80% in the middle class who like their doctor and will get thrown off their health care . look at university studios.

>> i love the scare tactics.

>> starting january 1st of next year.

>> okay. chris , get, i'll let you answer that and then we've got to go.

>> his mathematics and facts are wrong. at the end of the day you're talking about reducing costs expanding coverage to people who need it the most. republicans have not come to terms with the fact this is the law of the land . the ones that haven't will end up with the political consequences of it. a spirited conversation, thank you,