Gov. Neil Abercrombie released his two-year budget draft today at a news conference at the state Capitol, a document based largely on figures drawn from the Lingle administration.

Abercrombie described the budget as a work-in-progress that will be revised during the session of the state Legislature that starts in January.

The new governor sought to avoid blaming former Gov. Linda Lingle for the projected deficits. But he had to edit himself when asked whether he would delay state income tax refunds, like Lingle did this year.

I’m not going to delay tax refunds. All that does is extend the grief and pain and phoniness down the road.

OK. I take back the word “phoniness.” No, I do.

Because I said I’m not going to fix blame and all that, and that’s a pejorative term and I take it back. I shouldn’t have said it.