Biden and Ryan Quarrel Aggressively in Debate, Offering Contrasts

“These guys bet against America all the time,” Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. said of his Republican rivals. Representative Paul D. Ryan, showing fluency in foreign affairs, had rebuttals ready. More Photos

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Representative Paul D. Ryan fiercely quarreled at the vice-presidential debate here on Thursday night, with Mr. Biden using the cutting attack lines against the Republican ticket that Mr. Obama did not and Mr. Ryan delivering a spirited case for conservative policies that Mr. Romney had soft-pedaled.

The 90-minute debate, which unfolded in rapid tempo, offered a spirited airing of the sharp contrasts over the administration’s handling of the terrorist attack in Libya, the pace of the economic recovery at home and the role of government in addressing the nation’s fiscal burdens.

While Mr. Obama and Mr. Romney were not on stage, they were at the center of the conversation as their running mates made certain the evening was squarely focused on defining the men at the top of the ticket. But, under pressure to pass the test, Mr. Ryan displayed a proficiency in areas like foreign policy and kept pace with Mr. Biden, who is 27 years his senior.

It was Mr. Biden who sought to quiet the rising clamor among Democrats that the president was not assertive enough with Mr. Romney at their debate last week in Denver. A day after Mr. Obama conceded he was “too polite,” Mr. Biden showed no hesitation in hectoring, heckling and interrupting his challenger.

Within a single minute, Mr. Biden worked in three attacks on his rivals, referring to Mr. Romney’s opposition to the auto industry bailout, his statement that the foreclosure crisis would have to “run its course” and his comment about “47 percent” of Americans who he said were overreliant on government benefits.

“These guys bet against America all the time,” said Mr. Biden, whose temperature was running close to boil for most of the evening.

Mr. Ryan, who kept his composure for most of the night, suggested that Mr. Romney misspoke when talking about the 47 percent. He added pointedly, “I think the vice president very well knows that sometimes the words don’t come out of your mouth the right way.”

But Mr. Biden retorted sharply: “But I always say what I mean. And so does Romney.”

The two men walked on stage in Newlin Hall on the campus of Centre College and took their seats around a table, rather than standing at lecterns as their counterparts did last week. They repeatedly talked over each other, but Martha Raddatz of ABC News, the moderator, pressed both men at various points to explain themselves better.

At one point, she argued directly with Mr. Biden over misgivings among some in the military about the timing of pulling troops from Afghanistan during the warmer months, when fighting is often heavier. When Mr. Biden disputed that the timing was political, Ms. Raddatz said: “Trust me. There are people who were concerned about pulling out on the fighting season.”

Mr. Ryan offered a point-by-point rebuttal of the vice president, accusing the administration of lacking “credibility” in its international approach to Iran because it sent mixed signals and asserting that the tough sanctions came about only because of the fortitude of Congress, as the administration sought to “water down” the trading restrictions.

He sharply criticized the administration’s handling of the terrorist strike in Libya that killed the American ambassador, saying: “It took the president two weeks to acknowledge that this was a terrorist attack. Look, if we’re hit by terrorists, we’re going to call it what it is, a terrorist attack.”

Mr. Ryan chastised Mr. Obama, questioning why the United States did not have protection for the diplomatic compound. He declared, “This is becoming more troubling by the day.”

But as Mr. Biden reminded Mr. Ryan that he and House Republicans cut the budget for the security, he sought to use the question about the attack in Libya to immediately begin the attack on Mr. Romney’s positioning. He contrasted Mr. Obama’s overall foreign policy record with Mr. Romney’s, ranging from Iraq to the killing of Osama bin Laden.

“The president has led with a steady hand and clear vision; Governor Romney hasn’t,” Mr. Biden said. “The last thing we need is another war.”

source:new york times