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US running mates clash in debate US running mates clash in debate
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US vice-presidential candidates Joe Biden and Paul Ryan have clashed in their one and only debate, as polling shows the US election race tightening. US vice-presidential candidates Joe Biden and Paul Ryan have clashed sharply in their only debate, as polls show a tightening campaign.
The debate opened with feisty clashes on national security, economic policy, taxes and healthcare. Thursday night's debate saw feisty exchanges on national security, the economy, taxes and healthcare.
Democrat Mr Biden was aggressive, frequently interrupting his rival as he defended President Obama's record. Mr Biden, a Democrat, was aggressive, frequently interrupting his rival as he defended President Obama's record.
Mr Ryan, a Republican Wisconsin congressman, was comparatively calm in his first debate on the national stage.Mr Ryan, a Republican Wisconsin congressman, was comparatively calm in his first debate on the national stage.
The head-to-head came as Democrats hoped to rejuvenate their campaign after what was widely seen as a poor debate performance by Mr Obama last week.
Mr Obama acknowledged he had been "too polite", and it appeared his campaign had unleashed Mr Biden for a round of aggressive attacks on Mr Romney's proposals on taxes, government spending, the economy and other issues.
The vice-president repeatedly cut off Mr Ryan, chuckling, rolling his eyes and raising his hands.
'Aggressive''Aggressive'
But Mr Ryan seemed not to be rattled. His goal was to defend gains Mr Romney has made in the polls in recent days, analysts said. The head-to-head came as Democrats hope to rejuvenate their campaign after what was widely seen as a poor debate performance by Mr Obama last week.
The two vice-presidential candidates jousted on a series of topics, as moderator Martha Raddatz of ABC News sought to keep order. The president has acknowledged he was "too polite", and it appeared his campaign had unleashed Mr Biden to attack Mr Romney on taxes, government spending, the economy and other issues.
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    The vice-president repeatedly cut off Mr Ryan, chuckling, rolling his eyes and raising his hands in apparent exasperation.
    But Mr Ryan seemed not to be rattled. His goal was to defend gains Mr Romney has made in the polls in recent days against a renewed onslaught from Mr Obama, analysts said.
    On stage at Centre College in Kentucky, the vice-presidential candidates jousted on a series of topics, as moderator Martha Raddatz of ABC News sought to keep order.
    The debate opened with an exchange on Libya.The debate opened with an exchange on Libya.
    Mr Biden vigorously defended the Obama administration's handling of the attack last month on the Benghazi consulate, as well as its initially inaccurate characterisation of the incident as a reaction to an anti-Islamic video made in the US.Mr Biden vigorously defended the Obama administration's handling of the attack last month on the Benghazi consulate, as well as its initially inaccurate characterisation of the incident as a reaction to an anti-Islamic video made in the US.
    He said the administration's public statements were informed by the information available at the time. And he pivoted to attack Mr Romney, saying the Republican's decision to hold a political press conference the morning after the attack was "not presidential leadership".He said the administration's public statements were informed by the information available at the time. And he pivoted to attack Mr Romney, saying the Republican's decision to hold a political press conference the morning after the attack was "not presidential leadership".
    In one of many caustic attacks, he said Mr Ryan's criticisms of the administration's handling of the crisis were "a bunch of malarky". "We will find and bring to justice the men who did this," the vice-president said. "We will get to the bottom of it, and... whatever mistakes were made will not be made again."
    Mr Ryan, meanwhile, said the administration had disregarded requests for more security there. In one of many barbs, he said Mr Ryan's criticisms of the administration's handling of the crisis were "a bunch of malarkey. Not a single thing he said is accurate".
    Next, the men argued about Iran and the US relationship with Israel, but showed little substantive difference between their tickets' respective policies. Mr Ryan, meanwhile, said the administration had disregarded requests for more security in Libya.
    On the economy, Mr Biden unleashed a broadside against Mr Romney's recently publicised comments that the 47% of Americans who pay no federal income tax should take responsibility for themselves. "If we're hit by terrorists we're going to call it for what it is: a terrorist attack," he said. "Our ambassador in Paris has a Marine detachment guarding him. Shouldn't we have a Marine detachment guarding our ambassador in Benghazi, a place where we knew that there was an al-Qaeda cell with arms?"
    And he reminded the audience that Mr Romney had opposed government action to save US auto manufacturers. And in a charge he repeated later, Mr Ryan said: "What we are watching on our TV screens is the unravelling of the Obama foreign policy."
    "I've never met two guys that are more down on America," Mr Biden said, referring to Mr Romney and Mr Ryan. 'Bluster'
    The men argued about Iran and the US relationship with Israel, but showed little substantive difference between their tickets' respective policies.
    "When Barack Obama was elected, they had enough fissile material - nuclear material to make one bomb," Mr Ryan said. "Now they have enough for five."
    Mr Biden said international sanctions against Iran had crippled that nation's economy, and challenged Mr Ryan to clarify where Republican policy on Iran differs from the administration's.
    "So all this bluster I keep hearing, all this loose talk, what are they talking about?" he asked.
    On the economy, Mr Biden said the president had inherited a nation teetering on economic ruin - caused, he said repeatedly, by the Republican policies of George W Bush.
    And he defended the president's handling of the economy, especially a programme - that Mr Romney opposed - to save US auto manufacturers from bankruptcy.
    "We knew we had to act for the middle class," Mr Biden said. "We immediately went out and rescued General Motors.
    "We went ahead and made sure that we cut taxes for the middle class. And in addition to that, when that - when that occurred, what did Romney do? Romney said, 'No, let Detroit go bankrupt.'"
    Mr Biden also unleashed a broadside against Mr Romney's recently publicised comments that the 47% of Americans who pay no federal income tax should take responsibility for themselves.
    "I've never met two guys who are more down on America across the board," he said, referring to Mr Romney and Mr Ryan.
    'Wrong direction'
    Mr Ryan sought to deflect the attack with a story about Mr Romney's personal generosity and by referring to Mr Biden's own record of verbal blunders.Mr Ryan sought to deflect the attack with a story about Mr Romney's personal generosity and by referring to Mr Biden's own record of verbal blunders.
    "Look, did they come in and inherit a tough situation? Absolutely," he acknowledged.
    "But we're going in the wrong direction... The economy is barely limping along.
    Later, the two outlined their competing plans on the Medicare healthcare programme for over-65s.Later, the two outlined their competing plans on the Medicare healthcare programme for over-65s.
    Budget debates
    They repeated policy positions staked out months ago. Mr Biden defended the administration's 2010 health insurance overhaul, dubbed Obamacare; Mr Ryan derided it as a government takeover of the healthcare industry, and repeated a disputed assertion that Mr Obama had pulled money from Medicare in order to fund it.They repeated policy positions staked out months ago. Mr Biden defended the administration's 2010 health insurance overhaul, dubbed Obamacare; Mr Ryan derided it as a government takeover of the healthcare industry, and repeated a disputed assertion that Mr Obama had pulled money from Medicare in order to fund it.
    Thursday's debate was held at Centre College, a small liberal arts university about 80 miles (129km) from the city of Louisville. With the election less than four weeks away, the rivals were tasked with keeping their respective campaigns competitive, as new polls suggest Mr Romney has narrowed or erased Mr Obama's lead in several key swing states.
    The rivals were tasked with keeping their respective campaigns competitive, as new polls suggest Mr Romney has narrowed or erased Mr Obama's lead in several key swing states.
    The two candidates are virtually tied in Florida and Virginia while Mr Obama still leads in Ohio, but by a slimmer margin.The two candidates are virtually tied in Florida and Virginia while Mr Obama still leads in Ohio, but by a slimmer margin.
    The event is not expected to draw the approximately 70 million people who watched four years ago when Mr Biden debated Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
    That debate did little to change the 2008 campaign but helped Mrs Palin after a series of disastrous interviews.