Christie says Romney would tell 'hard truths'

Republican keynote address lays "the foundation for calls" by Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan to change Medicare, Wall Street Journal reports.

The Wall Street Journal: Republicans Anoint Romney
Where Mrs. Romney sought to round out her husband's public image, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey suggested the policy direction Mr. Romney would take. Mr. Romney, he said, would tell the nation the "hard truths'' needed to shore up the federal balance sheet. His speech appeared to lay the foundation for calls by Mr. Romney and his running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) to enact spending and tax cuts and changes to Medicare, which Mr. Ryan has championed in Congress (Nelson and McKinnon, 8/28).

Politico: Darrell Issa: Mitt Romney Will Take On Tax, Entitlement Reform
Mitt Romney has "already put out an awful lot of detail" about his ideas on entitlement and tax reform, Rep. Darrell Issa said Tuesday, adding that the former Massachusetts governor has shown he can work with Democrats (Goode, 8/28).

Politico Pro: Norquist: Romney Would Repeal ACA Swiftly
Grover Norquist, the influential head of Americans for Tax Reform, expects Mitt Romney to move on repealing the health law within the first month of his term, if he becomes president. "I don't think anything would take past a month of him being president," Norquist told POLITICO in Tampa at the Republican National Convention. "As I understand it from Senate rules, you can do it inside reconciliation. So, first you do the budget, then you do reconciliation. So it may take a few days." Gov. Romney says he will repeal the health law if elected. If Republicans gain control of the Senate, too, he could pursue repeal through the complicated budget reconciliation process, which does not require 60 votes to overcome filibusters. But the process does require the parliamentarian to certify that every piece of the reconciliation bill has a budgetary impact -; an analysis that could be open to interpretation (Haberkorn, 8/28).

Medpage Today: Forum Speakers Outline ACA Flaws
The Affordable Care Act is unworkable and unaffordable, Sen. John Barrasso, MD (R-Wyo.) said at a forum sponsored by the American Action Network. "When you take a look at a law, you say, Number One, is it constitutional? Number Two, is it a good idea? And Number Three, can we afford it?" Barrasso, an orthopedic surgeon, said at the forum, one of many external events being held here in conjunction with the Republican National Convention. He acknowledged the recent Supreme Court decision upholding the ACA, but said that in his own view, "With this healthcare law, it fails all three of them, and that's why I believe it is time to ... repeal Obamacare and remove Barack Obama from the White House" (Frieden, 8/28).

CNN (Video): Examining Health Care Under Romney-Ryan
CNN's Elizabeth Cohen looks at what health care would look like under Romney-Ryan (Cohen, 8/28).

Meanwhile, a new study looks at the effect of the health law on small business.

Fox News: Health-Care Costs Continue to Worry Small Business Owners
The rising cost of health care continues to be the top problem facing small business owners, according to a new study. The report by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) revealed that more than 50 percent of small business employers view the cost of insurance as their most critical problem. According to the research, health insurance costs for small firms have risen 103 percent in the last decade, an increase outpacing wages and inflation (Brooks, 8/28).

President Obama, for his part, continued his campaign efforts and attacked Romney's plans on health care.

Fox News: Obama Resumes Campaign By Appealing To Young Voters, Mocking Convention
President Obama resumed his campaign Tuesday at the exact hour Republicans began their convention activities – as Obama starts a three-state trip this week that his campaign hopes will steal some of the national spotlight and help win over college-age voters. ... The president also suggested Republicans refer to Romney's health care plan as "Romney Doesn't Care" – a comeback for critics calling his health-care reform law "ObamaCare" (8/28).

And in other political news:

The Associated Press: Rep. Jeff Flake Wins Arizona GOP Primary For US Senate Seat; Vows Fight On Obama Policies
With the easy defeat of an unexpectedly aggressive primary challenger, Arizona Rep. and GOP Senate nominee Jeff Flake brushed off speculation of a bruised candidacy with a vow to repeal President Barack Obama's economic and health care policies (Clausings, 8/29).