Courting Middle-Class Voters

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Palin and Biden Face Off on Economy, Foreign Policy

In the first and only vice presidential debate this election cycle, Sen. Joe Biden (D) and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) squared off in St. Louis, Mo., Thursday night with friendly but pointed exchanges on the economy, taxes and energy policy.

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After Palin said, "The surge principles, not the exact strategy, but the surge principles that have worked in Iraq need to be implemented in Afghanistan, also," Biden pointed to recent comments made by the senior U.S. officer in Afghanistan about the war.

"Our commanding general in Afghanistan said the surge principle in Iraq will not work in Afghanistan," he said. "Not Joe Biden, our commanding general in Afghanistan."

On domestic policy issues, both candidates sparred politely over tax policy, energy, health care and same-sex marriage. Prodded by moderator Gwen Ifill of PBS, the candidates spent most of the first half of the debate trading barbs about taxes and the economy.

Both described the current economic trouble as an us-vs.-them narrative in which the wealthy are taking advantage of the middle class.

"Let's commit ourselves -- just everyday American people, Joe Six-Pack, hockey moms across the nation -- I think we need to band together and say, 'Never again,' " Palin said. "Never will we be exploited and taken advantage of again by those who are managing our money and loaning us these dollars."

Biden refused to concede the middle class to Palin and McCain. He repeatedly accused the Republican ticket of seeking tax breaks for big corporations, especially oil companies.

"John wants to add $300 million, billion in new tax cuts per year for corporate America and the very wealthy while giving virtually nothing to the middle class," Biden said. "We have a different value set. The middle class is the economic engine. It's fair. They deserve the tax breaks, not the super-wealthy who are doing pretty well."

Biden rarely talked about Palin's record as governor, returning often to McCain's history in the Senate. He accused McCain of backing government deregulation during his career that allowed Wall Street to "run wild," leading to the current economic crisis.

"John McCain -- and he's a good man -- but John McCain thought the answer is that tried-and-true Republican response: deregulate, deregulate," Biden said. "He wants to do for the health-care industry -- deregulate it and let the free market move -- like he did for the banking industry."

The two candidates repeated their campaign slogans on taxes. Palin accused Obama of voting to support tax increases 94 times, a claim that Biden forcefully rejected as false.

"Barack had 94 opportunities to side on the people's side and reduce taxes, and 94 times he voted to increase taxes or not support a tax reduction -- 94 times," Palin said.

"The charge is absolutely not true. Barack Obama did not vote to raise taxes," Biden responded. "Using the standard that the governor uses, John McCain voted 477 times to raise taxes. It's a bogus standard."