US President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney have faced each other in a combative debate that saw both men attack one another directly.
The discussion on Wednesday focused largely on domestic issues, though it covered a broader range of topics than the first presidential debate earlier this month.
From the economy to immigration and energy. Obama took a much more aggressive tone than he did in that previous debate, where he was widely criticised for giving long-winded answers and his reluctance to confront Romney.
He went on the offensive early, saying in response to the first question that Romney’s economic plan would do little beyond cut taxes for wealthy Americans.
"Romney says he has a five-point plan. He doesn’t have a five-point plan, he has a one-point plan," Obama said, "and that’s to make sure folks at the top play by a different set of rules."
The president’s one-liner would set the tone for much of the first hour of debate, which used a "town hall" format, with questions coming from a pool of undecided voters in the audience. One woman asked about taxes, and about Romney’s plan to slash some of the "deductions" in the US tax code, which allow Americans to deduct items like mortgage interest from their taxable income.
Romney defends his tax and deficit numbers: "Of course they add up"
Romney has proposed a tax plan that could cut up to $5 trillion over the next 10 years, but would offset that lost revenue by reducing deductions and loopholes.
"I’m not going to have people at the high end pay less than they’re paying now... the top five per cent of taxpayers will continue to pay 60 per cent," Romney said. "And middle-income people are going to get a tax break."
But few economists believe that Romney could close the gap simply through cutting deductions, and Obama seized on that, accusing Romney of peddling false numbers.
"We haven’t heard from the governor any specifics beyond Big Bird and eliminating money for Planned Parenthood," Obama said, the former a reference to Romney's plan to slash federal funding for PBS, the public broadcaster. "The math doesn’t add up."
Romney responded testily, mentioning his business experience and his "25 years of balancing the budget."
"Of course they add up," he said of his tax figures.
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