WALLACE: "But you're not explaining - because there are a lot of question from independent people - how do you pay for it [the $5 trillion tax cut]? And you refuse say how you're going to pay for it."

GILLESPIE: "What we have said is that we are going to pay for it with these, by limiting deductions and loopholes - and, by the way, making sure for the middle class, that protecting the home mortgage deduction and other important deductions for them, but at the high end you would eliminate deductions and, you know, a lot of special interest loopholes that would allow you to bring down the rate 20%. Six different studies have said this is entirely doable."

WALLACE: "Those are questionable, some of them are blogs, some of them are from the AEI, which is hardly an independent group."

GILLESPIE: "These are very credible sources ..."

WALLACE: (Interrupting) "One of them is from a guy who is - from a blog from a guy who was a top adviser to George W. Bush. These are hardly nonpartisan studies."

We were told by Republicans back in 2003-04 that securing those reserves under U.S. and British control would stabilize the world petroleum market, and eventually even allow for the war to pay for itself.

Romney/Ryan, on the other hand - particularly Ryan - stop worrying about life or the quality of it at the delivery room door;

To provide a bit of background, Gov. Burns (1909-1975) was a staunchly devout Roman Catholic who attended mass daily, and who personally disagreed with the idea of abortion. In fact, his wife Bea -- an equally devout Catholic who had contracted polio as an adult while pregnant with third child, and was crippled by it -- had chosen to carry her fourth child to term while confined to a wheelchair, despite the serious risk to her health and her physician's strong recommendation that she abort her pregnancy.

As could be expected, Gov. Burns found himself under considerable pressure from the Diocese of Honolulu and Archdiocese of San Francisco to veto House Bill 61. Instead, on March 11, 1970 he issued the following statement:

"House Bill 61, relating to Hawaii's century-old abortion law is now Act 1 of 1970. The measure became law without my signature.

"I have declined to sign this bill after much study and soul-searching; after receiving competent advice from island and national specialists ion law, medicine, theology, human rights and public affairs, and after sincere prayer to the Creator named in our Nation's Declaration of Independence as the Source of our unalienable rights of Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness.

[...]

"In the recent debates and public controversy over proposed abortion law changes in our State, I have been subjected to pleadings, warnings, even threats from many sources, including clergymen and lay members of my own Roman Catholic Church, and members of other churches and nonreligious groups. I have received all of these with what I hope has been reasonable equanimity, listening to all, judging each argument, and coming to my decision calmly after weighing with the utmost care the sentiments expressed by our distinguished legislators who have borne the brunt of the heated public debate.

[...]

"To summarize, I could not in good conscience condone what the House Bill permits by signing it into law. On the other hand, I do consider the abortion question as a matter involving individual conscience and proper subject for legislative policy setting and scientific or judicial interpretation. I appreciate the considerable thought and energies that went into the final development of House Bill 61. Many people -- all sincere in their desire to better the quality of life in Hawaii -- spoke both for and against enactment of this bill.

"Let us now rejoin all our forces and continue to work for a better Hawaii for all our people."

I've provided excerpts, because his original statement is 14 pages long in its entirety. In it, Gov. Burns offered constituents and posterity a public glimpse into the complicated inner mindset of a very private man, as he recounted how he engaged in no small amount of soul searching on the issue of abortion.

The governor included a discussion of his time as a detective and captain in the Honolulu Police Department, noting that he witnessed firsthand the pain and carnage wrought by back-alley abortion providers. He noted "ample evidence that the traffic in illegal abortions is considerable in Hawaii, as well as in other jurisdictions," and he reasoned that our law should be changed to reflect changed community standards "rather than continue violating an outmoded law."

Gov. Burns' son-in-law, Univ. of Hawaii Prof. Dan Boylan, told me that he believes his father-in-law's personal experience in the HPD ultimately weighed very heavily in his final decision to not veto House Bill 61:

"I have made my decision. I stand by it. It is the decision of the Governor of Hawaii, not the private and personal whim of John A. Burns. It reflects my best judgment as Governor, made after consultation with the best minds in the State, in regard to what is in the best interest of all the people of Hawaii."

(DISCLOSURE: That aforementioned fourth child of John and Bea Burns, retired Chief Appellate Court Judge James Burns, and his wife, broadcast journalist Emme Tomimbang, are friends of ours.)

Aren't you incensed by the religious test of that question? Made me wanna puke.

So what do you REALLY think of Ms Crawford?

And it becomes about style and spin and what we're told we're suppose to believe.

Sigh... I would love some Lincoln Douglas type of debates.