Viewpoints: Clarity needed on GOP health plan; Blaming the poor

Tampa Bay Times: GOP Needs An Alternative To Health Reform
As soon as he moves into the White House, Mitt Romney promises, he will demand that Congress repeal the health care reform law that is President Barack Obama's signature achievement. Far less clear is how Romney and Republicans in Congress would replace the Affordable Care Act. That is a critical question for Florida, which has nearly 4 million uninsured residents and has failed to develop its own solution (8/29).

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: GOP Team Is Wrong Prescription For Patients
I write this as a lifelong Republican and registered nurse. The foremost priority for me and my colleagues is providing the best care possible to our patients. We are deeply concerned that Mitt Romney and his running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, share a prescription for our nation's health care system grounded in partisan politics that are holding our country back -- instead of the reality nurses face in hospitals, clinics and emergency rooms across the country (Dee Ives, 8/28).

New York Times: Blame the Poor
Talking about dismantling health care for the poor might seem to clash with balloons and funny hats, but this is a Republican convention, so it fits right in with the celebratory mood. Many in the parade of governors scheduled to speak tonight have long complained about how much they are forced to spend to keep poor people healthy, and the Republican platform has an answer for them: They can stop worrying (David Firestone, 8/28). 

(N.Y.) Daily News: A Damning Silence On Poverty
Watch any news program since Paul Ryan was selected as Mitt Romney's running mate, and chances are, you'll hear all about his plan to aggressively alter Medicare. But watch all those shows back to back, and it's a good bet you'll hear barely a whisper about Ryan's more Draconian proposal to cut an astounding $1.4 trillion from Medicaid, the program relied on by millions of low-income Americans (Blake Zeff, 8/29).

Wall Street Journal: Todd Akin Is Not a Victim
Missouri Republican Todd Akin is vowing to continue his Senate campaign, though the question increasingly is: to what purpose? His continuing candidacy is harming the social-conservative wing of the GOP that he claims to be defending (8/28).

Houston Chronicle: Focus On Eliminating Medical Tests That Are Of No Benefit
Today, physicians, hospitals and drug and device companies that make money off no-benefit procedures are throwing up a smoke screen to protect their cash cows -- often with the active help of politicians who take big campaign contributions from these lobbies. We have a clear way forward to reduce the costs of Medicare to make it more affordable for the future, while at the same time assuring seniors of health care that's truly beneficial. This way requires selectively trimming the "no benefit" tests and procedures - and believing in the science that tells us which is which (Dr. Howard Brody, 8/28).