Biden attacks but Republican rival more than holds his own

US vice-president Joe Biden came out swinging against Republican opponent Paul Ryan in an attempt to get Barack Obama back on track in the race for the White House.

Eyes rolling, smirking and finger-pointing, Mr Biden’s performance last night was in stark contrast to the president’s lacklustre debate a little over a week ago that led to a jarring drop in the polls.

It remains to be seen how important the lone vice presidential debate will be in determining the winner next month. But both men were clearly determined not to give up any ground in the televised showdown in Kentucky.

They squabbled over foreign policy, the economy, taxes, abortion and healthcare and agreed just once — when Mr Ryan, referring to the war in Afghanistan, said the calendar was the same each year.

“With all due respect, that’s a bunch of malarkey,” Mr Biden retorted when his Republican rival launched an attack on the administration’s record abroad and its handling of the terrorist attack in Libya that killed US ambassador Christopher Stevens.

Unable to hide his frustration, Mr Biden claimed Mr Ryan and presidential candidate Mitt Romney were anti-American, usually a forbidden area in such debates, saying: “I’ve never seen two guys who are more down on America across the board ... These guys bet against America every time.”

But despite the gap in age and experience — Mr Biden is 69 and Mr Ryan 42 — the younger man held his own and, if anything, appeared more statesmanlike. While Mr Biden was often caught laughing sarcastically at his opposite number, Mr Ryan took a more respectful approach. “I know you’re under a lot of duress to make up for lost ground,” he chided Mr Biden, in a reference to Mr Obama’s debate disaster, “but I think people would be better served if we don’t interrupt each other.” The vice president was prepared to go on the attack, accusing Mr Romney of writing off 47 per cent of the country — a reference to his comments to a group of wealthy donors.

Mr Biden noted that Mr Romney recently defended the 14 per cent tax rate he pays on his £14 million income as fair, even though it’s a lower rate than some lower income taxpayers pay. He said: “You think these guys are going to go out there and cut those loopholes?”

Mr Ryan struck back, saying: “He’s from Scranton, Pennsylvania. You know what the unemployment rate in Scranton is? It’s 10 per cent. The day you came into office, it was 8.5 per cent. That’s how it’s going all around America.”