Gov. Rick Scott starts to bend in fight against Obamacare

Gov. Rick Scott The resounding defeat of Mitt Romney and the failure of Republicans to take over the Senate seems to have taken some of the fight out of at least one Republican governor.

TALLAHASSEE (AP) - Florida Gov. Rick Scott, one of the most vocal critics of the federal health care overhaul, is dropping his staunch opposition to the law.
Scott said in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press that he now wants to negotiate with the federal government. He said it's time for Republicans to offer solutions to help families after they lost their bid to defeat President Barack Obama.

"The election is over and President Obama won," Scott said. "I'm responsible for the families of Florida ... If I can get to yes, I want to get to yes."

What Scott has in mind to "negotiate" isn't entirely clear, since there's not a special Florida exception in the law that allows Rick Scott to tailor it to his liking. The state can set up its own exchange, partner with the federal government in creating it, or just let the feds do it.

Additionally, he has to decide whether he accepts the huge gift that is a federally funded Medicaid expansion. Florida is among the stingiest of states when it comes to Medicaid: "A family of three with income of $11,000 a year makes too much and single residents are not covered." Here's Scott's chance to decide if he really does want to help Florida families.