The moderator, Elaine Quijano of CBS News, had to intervene from the very start of the debate last night, as the two vice presidential nominees interrupted each other at regular interval. In fact, at times Quijano had a tough time in controlling Kaine, 58, and Pence, 57.
"Let me say first and foremost that, Senator, you and Hillary Clinton would know a lot about an insult-driven campaign," Pence said, highlighting Clinton's relentless criticism of Trump. It is really remarkable, he added.
"I mean, the situation we're watching hour by hour in Syria today is the result of the failed foreign policy and the weak foreign policy that Hillary Clinton helped lead in this administration and create," said Pence.
"The newly emboldened - the aggression of Russia, whether it was in Ukraine or now they're heavy-handed approach...," said the calm and cool looking Indiana Governor as he was interrupted by Kaine, who appeared to be on the attack from the very first moment of the debate.
"You both have said -- you both have said Vladimir Putin is a better leader than the president," Kaine jumped again.
The debate was kicked off by Kaine as he responded to the first question.
While Democratic presidential nominee Clinton has dedicated her life for public service and for the betterment of the people of the country, her Republican rival Donald Trump has always put himself first, he said.
"Trump always puts himself first. He built a business career, in the words of one of his own campaign staffers, 'off the backs of the little guy'. And as a candidate, he started his campaign with a speech where he called Mexicans rapists and criminals, and he has pursued the discredited and really outrageous lie that President Obama wasn't born in the United States," he said.
"The thought of Donald Trump as commander in chief scares us to death," he added.
(Reopens FGN 1)
"I am interested to hear whether he'll defend his running mate's not releasing taxes and not paying taxes," Kaine said.
"His tax returns showed he went through a very difficult time, but he used the tax code just the way it's supposed to be used. And he did it brilliantly," Pence said.
"This is probably the difference between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton and Senator Kaine. I mean, Hillary Clinton and Senator Kaine - God bless you for it, career public servants, that's great - Donald Trump is a businessman, not a career politician. He actually built a business," Pence said.
"Trump has brought an extraordinary business acumen. He's employed tens of thousands of people in the US," he said.
"Those tax returns that were - that came out publicly this week show that he faced some pretty tough times 20 years ago. But like virtually every other business, including the New York Times not too long ago, he used what's called net operating loss. We have a tax code, Senator, that actually is designed to encourage entrepreneurship in this country," he asserted. "He created a runway - because he's created a business that's worth billions of dollars today," Pence said.
Pence said Trump has not broken his promises.
"He (Trump) stood on the stage last week and when Hillary said, you haven't been paying taxes, he said, 'That makes me smart'. So it's smart not to pay for our military? It's smart not to pay for veterans? It's smart not to pay for teachers? And I guess all of us who do pay for those things, I guess we're stupid. And the last thing I'll say is this...," Kaine fired a series of questions for Pence.
"Senator, do you take all the deductions that you're entitled to?" the Governor asked.
Under Clinton's leadership, Kaine claimed, she was part of the national team, public safety team that went after and revived the dormant hunt against bin Laden and wiped him off the face of the Earth.
"She worked to deal with the Russians to reduce their chemical weapons stockpile. She worked a tough negotiation with nations around the world to eliminate the Iranian nuclear weapons program without firing a shot," he asserted.
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