Statements that strayed from record

Washington: Both vice-presidential candidates - Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Joe Biden - made statements in Thursday night's debate that strayed from the record. A few examples by each follow.

Biden on health care

The claim: Biden said McCain wants to deregulate health care "like he did for the banking industry."

The record: The charge draws from an article under McCain's byline. In it, however, McCain made the comparison only in the context of allowing citizens to purchase health insurance across state lines.

On taxes

The claim: John McCain wants to give corporations $300 billion (Dh1.1 trillion) in tax breaks, including $4 billion (Dh14.7 billion) in special breaks for oil companies, "while giving virtually nothing for the middle class."

The record: McCain backs extending the Bush-era tax cuts, including cuts for middle-class workers. He would also cut the top corporate rate to 25 per cent, from the current rate of 35 per cent. He has proposed closing tax loopholes for oil and gas companies. Taken together, McCain's tax cuts would amount to $3.6 trillion (Dh13.2 trillion) over ten years - a 10 per cent cut - according to an analysis by the Tax Policy Centre.

Palin on taxes

The claim: Obama has backed tax hikes for middle-class families, voted 94 times to raise taxes or oppose tax cuts and calls for tax hikes that would hit "millions of small businesses."

The record: Obama has proposed extending Bush-era tax cuts for workers earning less than $200,000 (Dh734,000) a year, or $250,000 (Dh917,500) a year for couples. The vast majority of small businesses earn far less than that. Of the 94 votes, 11 were in opposition to proposed tax cuts for people making more than $1 million (Dh3.67 million) a year; most of the rest were procedural. Taken together, Obama's tax cuts would amount to $2.7 trillion (Dh9.9 trillion) over ten years - a seven per cent cut - according to an analysis by the Tax Policy Centre.

On the mavericks

The claim: "John McCain has been the consummate maverick" in the Senate and Obama votes with his fellow Democrats 96 per cent of the time.

The record: McCain has voted with Bush 90 per cent of the time, and has broken with his party 19 per cent of the time. Obama has voted with Bush 40 per cent of the time and has voted with his Democratic colleagues 96 per cent of the time. Biden has voted with Bush 52 per cent of the time and has broken ranks with Democrats seven per cent of the time.

On Iraq

The claim: Bush has brought down US troop levels in Iraq to pre-surge levels. Obama has voted against funding for the troops and his plan amounts to "a white flag of surrender in Iraq."

The record: There are now about 152,000 US troops in Iraq, about 17,000 more than the pre-surge levels. Bush has committed to leaving 138,000 troops in Iraq for the duration of his term in office, still 3,000 more than then pre-surge levels. Obama has been a consistent critic of the war. In May, 2007, he voted against $124 billion (Dh455 billion) in Iraq war funding.