Republicans giving healthcare short shrift, Huckabee says

After a slight delay caused by Hurricane Gustav, the Republican National Convention got underway Tuesday night. But one former presidential candidate has been griping about the amount of attention healthcare is receiving from the Grand Old Party.

Arkansas Governor and former Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee said Tuesday at a forum on obesity that he’s disappointed with his party over its lack of attention to healthcare issues. He also discussed the difficulty he had garnering any attention for the subject and criticized his fellow Republican also-rans for dodging a healthcare forum in Iowa during the campaign, according to The Hill newspaper.

Senator John McCain will officially accept his party’s nomination for president tonight in St. Paul, MN. In the party platform, Republicans advocate for expanded home care options for long-term care. He has also talked about home-care programs such as Cash and Counseling and the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Regarding expanding healthcare, McCain has said he would provide a $2,500 refundable tax credit for individuals, $5,000 for families, that will help cover the costs of health insurance purchased through an employer.