ST. LOUIS – Under intense scrutiny, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin stood her ground against a vastly more experienced Joe Biden, debating the economy, energy and global warming, then challenging him on Iraq, “especially with your son in the National Guard.”
The Alaska governor also noted that Biden had once said Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama wasn't ready to be commander in chief, “and I know again that you opposed the move that he made to try to cut off funding for the troops and I respect you for that.”
Biden responded that John McCain, too, had voted against funding, and said the Republican presidential candidate had been “dead wrong on the fundamental issues relating to the conduct of the war.”
Thursday night's clash over Iraq was the most personal, and pointed, of the only vice presidential debate of the campaign, one in which Palin repeatedly cast herself as a non-Washington politician and part of a “team of mavericks” ready to bring change to a country demanding it.
“Maverick he is not on the important, critical issues,” Biden shot back, referring to McCain. And he said Obama was the true candidate of change.
Palin, governor of her state for less than two years, faced enormous challenges as she walked onto the debate stage at Washington University. After five weeks as McCain's ticket-mate, her poll ratings have begun dropping as even some conservatives question her readiness for high public office.
Her solo campaign events are few, and she has drawn ridicule for some of her answers in the few interviews she has granted – including her claim that Alaska's proximity to Russia gives her an insight into foreign policy.
From the opening moments of the debate, Democrat Biden sought to make McCain out as a straight-ahead successor to an unpopular President Bush.
In return, Palin accused Biden of reciting the past rather than looking to the future.
McCain campaign writes off Michigan
WASHINGTON – Republican presidential candidate John McCain conceded battleground Michigan to Democrat Barack Obama, a major retreat as he struggles to regain his footing in a campaign increasingly dominated by economic issues.
In another sign of McCain's woes, his campaign signaled that it would counter Obama's efforts in Indiana, a state that hasn't voted for a Democrat since 1964. And, a New Hampshire survey showed the Republican trailing by double digits.
With polls showing Obama leading comfortably, McCain's campaign confirmed Thursday it was pulling staff and advertising out of economically distressed Michigan, and one adviser said it was “off the list.” The GOP nominee also canceled a visit there slated for next week. Michigan, with 17 electoral votes, voted for Democrat John Kerry in 2004, but Republicans had poured money into an effort to try to place it in their column this year.
“Operations will be scaled back,” said Mike DuHaime, the campaign's political director.
In Indiana, surveys show a competitive race after Obama spent months pouring money into the state and Republicans resisted countering. Now the Republican National Committee is running TV ads to fight for the state's 11 votes, and McCain senior adviser Greg Strimple said: “We're going to go there.”
Separately, a Saint Anselm College Institute of Politics poll showed Obama leading McCain 49 percent to 37 percent in New Hampshire, a state Kerry narrowly won four years ago and that McCain is hoping to capture.
Judge refuses to block Alaska Troopergate probe
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Alaska judge refused to block a state investigation into whether Gov. Sarah Palin abused her power when she fired her public safety commissioner this summer.
Judge Peter Michalski threw out the lawsuit filed by five Republican state legislators who said the investigation had been tainted by partisan politics and was being manipulated to damage Palin shortly before the Nov. 4 presidential election.
“It is legitimately within the scope of the legislature's investigatory power to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the termination (of) a public officer the legislature had previously confirmed,” the judge wrote in his decision.
The probe is looking into whether Palin, who is the Republican vice presidential candidate, and others pressured Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan to fire a state trooper who was involved in a contentious divorce from Palin's sister, and then fired Monegan when he wouldn't dismiss the trooper. Palin says Monegan was ousted over budget disagreements.
The five Republican lawmakers had argued that the legislative body that ordered the investigation exceeded its authority. Their attorney, Kevin Clarkson, said the political bias was demonstrated by the plan of the Legislature's independent investigator to issue a report by Oct. 10 although the full legislature won't consider until reconvening in January.
But Michalski said in his ruling that the mere appearance of impropriety does not mean any individual's right to fairness was violated.
The independent investigator, Steven Branchflower, still plans to conclude the probe and report his findings by Oct. 10, said Democratic state Sen. Hollis French, the investigation's project manager. Branchflower's report will not include the testimony of Palin's husband, Todd, and several top aides who refused to appear under subpoena.
THE DEMOCRATS
Barack Obama talks to voters in Abington, Pa.
Joe Biden attends a deployment ceremony in Delaware.
THE REPUBLICANS
John McCain holds a town-hall style meeting in Pueblo, Colo.
Sarah Palin raises campaign cash in Texas.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“It's unfortunate that holding your own is a plus. By not falling on her face, she looked good.” – Mike Morse on Sarah Palin's debate performance. Morse, a former Republican who recently registered as a Democrat, watched the faceoff in Pittsboro, N.C.
STAT OF THE DAY:
Just 25 percent of likely voters believe Sarah Palin has the right experience to be president, a recent AP-Gfk poll found. That's down from 41 percent just after the GOP convention in early September.
Compiled by Ann Sanner and Ronald Powers.
