To the editor:

Despite what the "lamestream" media wants to say, there was a clear winner in the only vice-presidential debate last Thursday night. GOP nominee Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska kicked Democratic Sen. Joe Biden around like a rented mule.

On the issues where the media thought that Gov. Palin was weak, she kicked it in and used it to her full advantage, especially when Sen. Biden went after John McCain as opposed to Palin's positions on the issues.

Biden slammed McCain for being out of touch with the economy and wrong-headed on the war on terror, even as Obama did linking McCain to the alleged failures of the Bush administration over the last eight years. Palin came back strong, reminding Biden about how it was John McCain who brought together Democrats and Republicans to pass the recent bailout package in the Senate, and who correctly went after Obama for campaigning during the crisis.

Sen. Biden then, as Obama did during the first presidential debate, supported a bill that would set a timetable of sorts to bring the troops home from Iraq.

In response to which Gov. Palin once again came on strong and stated that the Democrats' plan was a "white flag of surrender," especially when the surge of troops in Iraq has been successful.

Biden throughout the debate seemed at times to be intimidated by Gov. Palin's responses to his verbal assaults (something that the left isn't used to), and backed down after Biden tried to use the famous liberal agenda of class warfare by invoking Obama's promise to raise the standard of living for the middle class. Palin countered, saying that she would utilize her executive experiences as both a mayor and a governor to put the government on the side of the people.

On the issue of global warming/climate change, Palin hit Biden for focusing on the origins of climate change (which occurs naturally).

Biden shot back in reference to global warming, "If you don't understand what the causes are it's virtually impossible to come up with solutions."

I find it funny how Sen. Biden is trying to figure out solutions to something like global warming, which does not exist.

It should be noted that PBS' Gwen Ifill, the debate moderator who brought controversy to the debate beforehand due to her biases, did a decent job in handling the debate as well as its format.

David R. Beaupre

Lynn