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FARMVILLE, Va., Oct. 4 (UPI) -- The vice presidential debate between Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence opened with the both candidates trading barbs aimed at the top of their opponent's ticket Tuesday -- and it largely stayed that way through the course of the night. The candidates generally refrained from attacking each other, preferring to train their fire on their opposition's bosses, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump.
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Kaine, Clinton's running mate, invoked a New York Times article published Sunday showing Donald Trump's tax returns from 1995, a year where he claimed a $916 million loss and Trump's refusal to release his taxes repeatedly throughout the night.
Pence, Trump's No. 2, shot back with attacks on Clinton's time as secretary of state, charging she is responsible for the expansion of terrorism in the Middle East, and her family's ties to wealthy foreign patrons of the Clinton Foundation and the economy.
Both men attacked the other, charging it was the other party's nominee that bears responsibility for what has turned into a vitriolic campaign of personal insults and attacks.
Moderator Elaine Quijano of CBS News presided over the lone meeting between the two vice presidential nominees at Longwood University in Farmville, Va.
Here is a look at some of their exchanges.
{b:On trustworthiness } Both candidates on why their running mate should ne considered trustworthy: "Do they have a passion in their life that showed up before they were in public life and have they held onto that passion in elected life?" Kaine said, rattling off Clinton's record advocating for women and children.
"That's a sharp contrast with Donald Trump. Donald Trump always puts himself first. As a candidate he started his campaign with a speech calling Mexicans rapists and criminals. ... I can't imagine how Gov. Pence can defend the hurtful, me-first campaign of Donald Trump."
Pence did just that, throwing the accusation back at Kaine, saying Clinton was trashing Trump to move the focus away from her failures on foreign policy.
"Senator, you and Hillary Clinton would know a lot about an insult driven campaign. It really is remarkable. We've weakened America's place in the world, stifled the American economy and the campaign of Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine has been an avalanche of insults," Pence said. "There's a reason why people question the trustworthiness of Hillary Clinton and that's because they're paying attention."
On taxes and the economy
"I think he's a very fitting running mate for Hillary Clinton," Pence said of Kaine. "Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine want more of the same. It really is remarkable. They are actually advocating $1 trillion in tax increases ... more regulation, more of the same war on coal, more Obamacare."
"There's a fundamental choice on economy," Kaine said. "Do you want a 'you're hired' president in Hillary Clinton or a 'you're fired' president in Donald Trump? [Trump wants] trillions of dollars in tax breaks for people just like Donald Trump. Donald Trump, why would he do this? Because his tax plan basically helps him. If he ever met his promise and releases his tax returns like he promised he would, we would see it's a Trump-first plan."
On Trump's taxes
Pence defended his running mate in response to a New York Times report from Sunday showing Trump claimed a $912 million loss in 1995, enough he could have avoided paying income taxes for the ensuing 18 years.
"Donald Trump is a businessman. He actually built a business. The tax returns that came out last week, showed he faced some pretty tough times 20 years ago," Pence said. "His tax return 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. This whole riff about not paying taxes and he didn't pay taxes for years, Donald Trump has created tens of thousands of jobs."
But Kaine questioned Trump's statements that not having to pay taxes makes him smart.
"He said 'that makes me smart.' So it's smart not to pay for the military, 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 are stupid," Kaine said. "Gov. Pence had to give Donald Trump his tax returns to show he's qualified to be vice president. Donald Trump must give the American people his tax returns to show he's qualified to be president."
On the Clinton Foundation
"The Clinton Foundation is one of the highest rated charities in the world," Kaine said. "Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, took no action to benefit the foundation. The State Department did an investigation and they determined everything Hillary Clinton did was in the interest of the United States."
Pence responded, saying with the foundation, the Clintons "figured out a way to collect foreign donations."
"It has been a platform for the Clintons to travel the world, have staff," he said.
On terrorism
"The terrorist threat has decreased in some ways because Bin Laden is dead. The terrorist threat has been decreased in some ways because Iran doesn't have a nuclear weapon. Donald Trump can't start a Twitter war with Miss Universe without shooting himself in the foot," Kaine said.
But Pence called the Obama-Clinton foreign policy "weak and feckless."
"The United States is less safe than it was eight years ago when Barack Obama took office," he said.
"It begins by rebuilding our military. The Russians and the Chinese are making major investments in their military. ... We have got to work with Congress, and Donald Trump will, to rebuild our military and project strength."
