St Louis (US): Vice presidential nominees Sarah Palin and Joe Biden disagreed sharply on the roots and the remedies of the US financial crisis at their crucial running mate's debate.

Republican Palin, 44,and Democrat Biden, 65,faced off in St Louis, Missouri late yesterday for a 90-minute showdown, seeking to land blows on behalf of presidential nominees John McCain and Barack Obama.

"Nice to meet you, can I call you Joe?" Palin said, in a comment picked up by microphones as she walked on stage and shook hands with her adversary, as she faced mounting questions about her qualifications for the job.

Delaware Senator Biden returned the compliment as he answered his first question about the USD 700 billion Wall Street bailout up for a vote in the House of Representatives today.

"Governor, it's a pleasure to meet you," Biden said.

Early exchanges narrowed in on the financial crisis, and its debilitating impact on the US middle classes.

Palin blamed Democrats for embracing wealth distribution and high tax policies that she said would limit growth. Biden argued that eight years of Republican policies were to blame for the economy s nightmare.

The Alaska governor framed herself as the kind of middle-class person that attends kids soccer games, and again putting forward her "hockey mom" persona, said she had been a reformer as a small town mayor and governor and was an expert on energy.

"I may not answer the question the way you want to hear but I'll talk straight to the American people and let them know my track record also," she said.
Source : PTI