Biden shows experience, Palin pushes 'maverick' record
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/02/vice.presidential.debate/index.htmlStory Highlights
NEW: Biden, Palin debate change, "maverick" status
NEW: Palin attacks Obama's tax plan as "backwards" way of defending economy
NEW: Biden blames some of economic crisis on deregulation policies
Joe Biden, Sarah Palin facing off in only VP debate of election season
(CNN) -- Sen. Joe Biden gave a knowledgeable but restrained performance in Thursday night's debate, while Gov. Sarah Palin sought to show that her accomplishments as governor and mayor prove she is qualified to be vice president.
Biden slammed John McCain, saying that "he has been no maverick on the issues that matter to people lives," but his only challenge to Palin was asking her to articulate a policy on the Iraq war.
Palin pushed her "track record of reform" and said she and McCain are a " team of mavericks."
"We're known for putting partisan politics aside to just get the job done," she said.
Palin tried to paint Barack Obama as "dangerous" for being open to meeting with rogue leaders without preconditions.
"An issue like that taken up by a presidential candidate goes beyond naivete and goes beyond poor judgment," Palin said.
"A statement that he made like that is downright dangerous because leaders like [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad, who would seek to acquire nuclear weapons and wipe off the face of the earth an ally like we have in Israel should not be met with without preconditions and diplomatic efforts being undertaken first."
In a debate last summer, Obama said he would meet with Ahmadinejad without preconditions. He later clarified to say he would not meet with him without preparations.
Palin also said Obama's campaign does "too much finger-pointing" to be serious about its call for change.
"There have been huge blunders in the war. There have been huge blunders throughout this administration, as there are with every administration.
"But for a ticket that wants to talk about change and looking into the future, there's too much finger-pointing backwards to ever make us believe that's where you're going," she said.
Biden responded with, "Past is prologue."
He said it is relevant to call out problems with the Bush administration because so far, McCain's policy "is the same as George Bush's, and you know where that policy has taken us."
"We will make significant change so once again we're the most respected nation in the world," Biden said.
Biden called current Vice President Dick Cheney "one of the most dangerous vice presidents."
Biden said he would serve a different role than Cheney if Obama was elected president.
"I would not be the president," said Biden. "But I would be there to give advice."
The vice presidential candidates are facing off in their only scheduled debate of the election season.
Earlier in the debate, Palin praised the surge in Iraq and said Obama voted against funding the troops in Iraq.
"The surge and counter insurgency has worked," said Palin. "It would be a shame if we quit on Iraq."
Biden said he and Obama will be the administration that will end the war and said McCain also voted against the funding.
"We will end the war. With John McCain there is no end to the war," Biden said
On education, Palin attacked the Bush education policy of "No Child Left Behind" by stating that it is not working.
Palin said she comes from a house of school teachers and took time during the debate to give a "shout out" to a third grade class back in Alaska saying they got "extra credit" for watching the debate.
Biden and Palin disagreed about the causes of climate change as they faced off in the vice presidential debate.
Palin said she isn't one to "attribute every activity of man to the changes in the climate."
"There is something to be said also for man's activities, but also for the cyclical temperature changes on our planet," said Palin, the Republican vice presidential candidate.
Biden disagreed, saying, "I think it is manmade. It's clearly manmade." Watch Biden say McCain is for big oil »
"If you don't understand what the cause is, you cannot come up with a solution," Biden said.
Biden spoke to the middle class while touting Sen. Barack Obama's tax plan during the vice presidential debate.
"When you do well, America does well," Biden said, referring to tax breaks aimed at the middle class that Obama has proposed.
Palin attacked Obama's plan as "the backwards way of defending our economy." Fact check: Obama and spending
Palin also accused Obama of voting for a bill that gave big tax breaks for big oil companies.
"In Alaska I had to take on those oil companies," Palin said. "I had to break up a monopoly and say the people had to come first." iReport.com: Watch debate, then tell us who won
Palin touted her expertise on energy policy because of her work in Alaska stating she has an "all of the above approach" on finding alternative fuels. Watch what Palin says about energy »
Palin blamed some of the U.S. financial crisis on Wall Street during the vice presidential debate. Watch the candidates debate the economy »
"You're darn right it was the predator lenders," said Palin. "There was greed and corruption on Wall Street."
Biden blamed some of the crisis on deregulation policies that John McCain believes in.
"He voted for deregulation and that is why we are in the crisis that we are in," Biden said.
Biden said the economic bailout bill is evidence that the U.S. has had the "worst economic policy we ever had." Watch Biden slam Bush's economic policies »
Biden made that statement in response to the first question of the vice presidential debate.
Palin said a barometer for how Americans are feeling about the economy can be felt at kids' soccer games.
She said Americans are "scared." Watch Palin say the economy is hurting »
She praised McCain's efforts to help get an economic bailout bill passed, and she said voters need to put the "maverick of the Senate" in the White House in order to reform Washington.
The VP candidates took time off the campaign trail this week to prepare for the debate, an event pitting a political veteran against a political newcomer.
The debate is taking place at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and is being moderated by PBS's Gwen Ifill.
CNN's Alexander Mooney contributed to this report.
