Health care reform deserves an open and honest debate about its merits and pitfalls and what it can offer to the American people.

So far, that discussion has been tinged with fear, anger, lies and misdirection - even right here in South Dakota.

Recently, Gov. Mike Rounds used Indian Health Services as an example of what could go wrong with health care with too much government involvement.

Those comments, coming from a state governor, were seized upon and used to fuel more of the opponents campaign on this controversial topic.

Health care is a volatile issue; but we deserve a different level of discussion - especially from our own leaders.

Last week, Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (meeting with the Journal editorial board) took exception to the governor's comments.

"That irritates me," she told the board. "We're talking about an insurance option, not the government setting up the equivalent of IHS clinics across the country and not funding them properly, like IHS over the last eight-plus years. … So we're talking apples and oranges."

We agree. Rounds used a poor political analogy - the governor, it seems, took advantage of a situation that has been plaguing Indian Health Services for years and instead of adding to the conversation, only added more misdirection, more fear, to the health care debate.

If Rounds were looking for a more apples to apples comparison, he might consider using TRICARE - a government-run health insurance more comparable to a public-option health insurance than that of Indian Health Services.

In South Dakota, about 34,000 people (10 million nationwide) are beneficiaries of the military personnel/family member health insurance plans and it does seem to indicate the government could in fact manage a public-option health insurance program.

What public-option insurance plan the federal government will finally pass - if any at all - remains to be seen.

But we do hope the discussion of it isn't lost to fear mongering and partisan debates that stray from the facts on this important topic.

Common sense, fair play and honest debate needs to have a seat at the table during the health care discussion and that can, and should, be expected; even right here in South Dakota.