Republican candidates are unabashed in opposition to 'Obamacare' but stay quiet on Medicare's drug plan

The Associated Press reports that, even with their emphasis on deficit reduction, most of the GOP presidential candidates don't seem to be talking about the Medicare drug program, a massive entitlement with future unfunded costs of about $7 trillion, as much as the 2010 health law.

The Associated Press/Washington Post: AP Enterprise: GOP Candidates Campaign Against 'Obamacare' But Won't Touch Medicare Drug Plan
Republicans want to pull the plug on the health care overhaul they call "Obamacare," blaming it in part for the United States' ballooning budget deficit. But they're quiet when it comes to the Medicare drug benefit -; another massive health care entitlement, with unfunded future costs over $7 trillion (9/19).

Meanwhile, GOP presidential hopeful Rick Perry continues to draw headlines. For instance, reports today examine the tort reforms he supported in Texas and his wife's influence on his campaign.

Texas Tribune: How Perry's "Four Principles" Compare To His Record
Perry calls frivolous lawsuits "job killers." And while he was governor, he helped the push through legislation revising medical liability rules. Conservatives call it tort reform, and Perry claims it drew 21,000 doctors to Texas. The Texas Medical Board puts that number closer to 13,000 -; a figure PolitiFact has found aligns with increases based on population growth alone. On the trail, Perry has said that Texas, following these four principles, has created 40 percent of all the new jobs in the U.S. since June 2009. That's true. But many note that these jobs haven't been economy drivers (Philpott, 9/17).

The Hill: Anita Perry: The Nurse Gov. Perry Wants To Take With Him To The White House
Since jumping into the race for the GOP nomination last month, the outspoken Texas governor has become the main challenger to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who had been leading in most polls. While Perry has garnered significant attention, much less is known about his wife, a nurse and public health advocate. … In a July interview with the Salem Radio Network, Gov. Perry said his wife was inspiring him to "get out of his comfort zone" and run for president because she was "disheartened" with the administration "health care-wise." "Her father is an old country doctor," Perry said, "and she sees the demise of really quality health care and being able to take care of people like they need to be taken care of in this country and the innovations that have occurred in medicine"(Pecquet, 9/17).

In other news from the campaign trail, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who almost joined the presidential primary race, called for a  'a more honest debate.'

The New York Times: Political Memo: Republican Calls For A More Honest Debate
Four months after he decided against jumping into the Republican presidential race, Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana says that he has occasionally been frustrated by the discourse in the campaign and that the field could benefit from at least one more contender whose candidacy was rooted in a message of fiscal discipline (Zeleny, 9/18).