CBS News with a transcript of Katie Couric's interview with Barack Obama last night:

Katie Couric: Do you favor a government option that would cover abortions?

President Obama: What I think is important, at this stage, is not trying to micromanage what benefits are covered. Because I think we're still trying to get a framework. And my main focus is making sure that people have the options of high quality care at the lowest possible price.

As you know, I'm pro choice. But I think we also have a tradition of, in this town, historically, of not financing abortions as part of government funded health care. Rather than wade into that issue at this point, I think that it's appropriate for us to figure out how to just deliver on the cost savings, and not get distracted by the abortion debate at this station.

Obama's comments are deeply troubling for two reasons.

First, Obama has publicly committed his administration - at his commencement address for Notre Dame, and during his recent meeting with Pope Benedict XVI - to reducing the number of abortions in America. If the health care bill provides abortion funding, all the studies show the rate and number of abortions will increase

This reality means that Obama is either ignorant about the effects of the health care bill, or is not truly concerned about reducing the number of abortions in America. But he can no longer claim to be ignorant that the health care bill leaves the door open to abortion funding because members of his own party have approached him about the issue. And Obama often claims that his policy decisions are based on scientific consensus. Well, the consensus on abortion funding, as referenced above, is that federal funding increases the rate of abortions wherever it is available.

Therefore, when faced with the possibility that access to abortion would be funded and expanded in an unparalleled way since the decision handed-down in Roe v. Wade, Obama either does not care about, or positively agrees with, America going down the path towards universal funding of abortion with taxpayer dollars.

Second, I am confused by Obama's comment that "we also have the tradition in this town, historically, of not financing abortions as part of government-funded health care."

If he is referring to Washington DC in particular, that status quo is rapidly being changed by democrats in congress. If Obama is referring to the policy which comes out of the federal city, he's correct. But clearly he either does not care, or advocates, changing this status quo.

The abortion question is not a matter that "distracts" from health care reform, it is at the heart of the debate. And Obama's response to Couric's question reveals deeply disturbing evidence either about what Obama thinks Americans ought to pay for with their tax dollars, or about how serious Obama is when it comes to keeping the promises he has made to them.