I think Thiggy has a good point- after all, many fluorescent fixtures come with short cords & plugs factory installed, and it's often not practical to remove them!
BUT... now that I think about it, the ones I've seen were three-prong plugs; I believe that fluorescent ballasts often require a good ground in order to work properly.
FWIW, I've had excellent results with compact fluorescents (those funny bulbs that screw into a lampholder).
