ID :
22582
Sat, 10/04/2008 - 08:52
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/22582
The shortlink copeid
Its 1-0 for Biden as Palin fails to match veteran Democrat
Sridhar Krishnaswami
Washington, Oct 3 (PTI) Sharply divided over the financial rescue package, U.S. Vice-Presidential candidates agreed on Pakistan during a feisty debate with pundits giving veteran Democrat John Biden the first round against his novice rival, the glamorous Sarah Palin.
The two rivals described an "unstable" Pakistan as
"extremely dangerous" for the world, but Biden went a step
ahead saying its tribal areas and Afghanistan were the
"central front" of the war on terror and not Iraq as projected
by the Republicans.
The 65-year-old, known for his deft understanding of
international relations especially in his capacity as the
chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned
that the next attack on the US is "going to come from al Qaeda
planning in the hills of Afghanistan and Pakistan" and
declared that he "will go after" terror mastermind Osama Bin
Laden if there is "actual intelligence".
Palin, a 44-year-old former beauty queen and Alaska
governor, accused Democratic Presidential candidate Barack
Obama of raising the a "white flag of surrender in Iraq" and
called him naive and "dangerous" for saying he was willing to
engage the leadership of Iran, North Korea and Cuba. "This is
beyond bad judgment. This is dangerous," she said.
Palin's nomination as the first woman Republican vice
presidential nominee a month ago electrified the John McCain
camp but the enthusiasm gradually waned as her weak responses
in television interviews exposed her inexperience.
Though her performance during the 90-miniute debate
surprised many who were hoping of some gaffe, but a CNN poll
showed that debate had done little to help her image with only
36 per cent of respondents favouring her against 51 per cent
for Biden.
The first question was posed on the USD 700 billion
bailout package which prompted Biden, a 35-year veteran of the
US Senate, to blame Bush administration for the current
economic turmoil. He accused McCain of misjudging the severity
of the financial crisis only two weeks ago and said he was
"out of touch".
"Until two weeks ago, two Mondays ago, John McCain
said the fundamentals of the economy were strong," Biden said.
"It doesn't make John McCain a bad guy. It does say he is out
of touch."
He defended Obama's plan to hike taxes to raise
USD250,000. "The economic policies of the last eight years are
the worst we've ever had," Biden said.
"We're going to fundamentally change the focus of
economic policy, we're going to focus on the middle class.
Because when the middle class prospers the whole of America
does too."
Palin said Americans were full of "fear" over the
state of the economy.
"The federal government has not provided the oversight
we need. John McCain has been the one representing reform,"
she claimed, accusing Obama of promoting "redistribution of
wealth" which would lead to decline in jobs and revenue.
Asked which was the greater threat, a nuclear Iran or
an unstable Pakistan, Biden said "they're both extremely
dangerous. Pakistan already has nuclear weapons. Pakistan
already has deployed nuclear weapons. Pakistan's weapons can
already hit Israel and the Mediterranean.
"Iran getting a nuclear weapon would be very, very
destabilising.... So they're both very dangerous. They both
would be game changers," he said during the debate at
Washington University in St Loius, Missouri.
The US media said that Palin was impressive, but only
by her own standards.
The New York Times said the debate did not change the
"essential truth" of Palin's candidacy. "Mr McCain made a
wildly irresponsible choice that shattered the image he
created for himself as the honest, seasoned, experienced man
of principle and judgment.
"After a series of stumbling interviews that raised
serious doubts even among conservative1s about her fitness to
serve as vice president, Ms Palin had to do little more than
say one or two sensible things and avoid an election-defining
gaffe" in Thursday's debate, it said.
"By that standard, and only that standard, the
governor of Alaska did well," the Times said.
The Wall Street Journal was more generous. It said
Palin "more than held her own" in debating foreign policy and
had "shown herself worthy of the national stage".
Both the camps, however, claimed victory. "While
Governor Palin blindly supports John McCain's plan for more of
the same policies that have devastated Main Street and let
Wall Street run wild, Joe Biden spoke clearly and strongly
about Obama's plan for a tax cut for the middle class, health
care that is affordable, and an end to the war in Iraq," the
Obama camp said
The McCain campaign said Palin was "direct, forceful
and a breath of fresh air."
"Tonight, Governor Palin proved beyond any doubt that
she is ready to lead as Vice President of the United States.
She won this debate, putting Joe Biden on defense on energy,
foreign policy, taxes and the definition of change," it said.
PTI RT
Washington, Oct 3 (PTI) Sharply divided over the financial rescue package, U.S. Vice-Presidential candidates agreed on Pakistan during a feisty debate with pundits giving veteran Democrat John Biden the first round against his novice rival, the glamorous Sarah Palin.
The two rivals described an "unstable" Pakistan as
"extremely dangerous" for the world, but Biden went a step
ahead saying its tribal areas and Afghanistan were the
"central front" of the war on terror and not Iraq as projected
by the Republicans.
The 65-year-old, known for his deft understanding of
international relations especially in his capacity as the
chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned
that the next attack on the US is "going to come from al Qaeda
planning in the hills of Afghanistan and Pakistan" and
declared that he "will go after" terror mastermind Osama Bin
Laden if there is "actual intelligence".
Palin, a 44-year-old former beauty queen and Alaska
governor, accused Democratic Presidential candidate Barack
Obama of raising the a "white flag of surrender in Iraq" and
called him naive and "dangerous" for saying he was willing to
engage the leadership of Iran, North Korea and Cuba. "This is
beyond bad judgment. This is dangerous," she said.
Palin's nomination as the first woman Republican vice
presidential nominee a month ago electrified the John McCain
camp but the enthusiasm gradually waned as her weak responses
in television interviews exposed her inexperience.
Though her performance during the 90-miniute debate
surprised many who were hoping of some gaffe, but a CNN poll
showed that debate had done little to help her image with only
36 per cent of respondents favouring her against 51 per cent
for Biden.
The first question was posed on the USD 700 billion
bailout package which prompted Biden, a 35-year veteran of the
US Senate, to blame Bush administration for the current
economic turmoil. He accused McCain of misjudging the severity
of the financial crisis only two weeks ago and said he was
"out of touch".
"Until two weeks ago, two Mondays ago, John McCain
said the fundamentals of the economy were strong," Biden said.
"It doesn't make John McCain a bad guy. It does say he is out
of touch."
He defended Obama's plan to hike taxes to raise
USD250,000. "The economic policies of the last eight years are
the worst we've ever had," Biden said.
"We're going to fundamentally change the focus of
economic policy, we're going to focus on the middle class.
Because when the middle class prospers the whole of America
does too."
Palin said Americans were full of "fear" over the
state of the economy.
"The federal government has not provided the oversight
we need. John McCain has been the one representing reform,"
she claimed, accusing Obama of promoting "redistribution of
wealth" which would lead to decline in jobs and revenue.
Asked which was the greater threat, a nuclear Iran or
an unstable Pakistan, Biden said "they're both extremely
dangerous. Pakistan already has nuclear weapons. Pakistan
already has deployed nuclear weapons. Pakistan's weapons can
already hit Israel and the Mediterranean.
"Iran getting a nuclear weapon would be very, very
destabilising.... So they're both very dangerous. They both
would be game changers," he said during the debate at
Washington University in St Loius, Missouri.
The US media said that Palin was impressive, but only
by her own standards.
The New York Times said the debate did not change the
"essential truth" of Palin's candidacy. "Mr McCain made a
wildly irresponsible choice that shattered the image he
created for himself as the honest, seasoned, experienced man
of principle and judgment.
"After a series of stumbling interviews that raised
serious doubts even among conservative1s about her fitness to
serve as vice president, Ms Palin had to do little more than
say one or two sensible things and avoid an election-defining
gaffe" in Thursday's debate, it said.
"By that standard, and only that standard, the
governor of Alaska did well," the Times said.
The Wall Street Journal was more generous. It said
Palin "more than held her own" in debating foreign policy and
had "shown herself worthy of the national stage".
Both the camps, however, claimed victory. "While
Governor Palin blindly supports John McCain's plan for more of
the same policies that have devastated Main Street and let
Wall Street run wild, Joe Biden spoke clearly and strongly
about Obama's plan for a tax cut for the middle class, health
care that is affordable, and an end to the war in Iraq," the
Obama camp said
The McCain campaign said Palin was "direct, forceful
and a breath of fresh air."
"Tonight, Governor Palin proved beyond any doubt that
she is ready to lead as Vice President of the United States.
She won this debate, putting Joe Biden on defense on energy,
foreign policy, taxes and the definition of change," it said.
PTI RT
