Obama, Romney Duel in Debate

***UPDATE TUESDAY 10 P.M.***President Barack Obama came out swinging in the second presidential campaign debate, striking immediately at Republican Mitt Romney’s opposition to the Democrat’s handling of the auto industry bailout.Obama was seen as having missed opportunities to make gains in the first debate with Romney two weeks ago. Romney was viewed as having won the debate.Obama also says Romney’s plan is to let the oil companies write the energy policies.At least twice Obama has accused Romney of being untruthful. And he’s addressed Romney directly, unlike their first debate in Denver, when Obama primarily addressed the moderator, while Romney criticized the president.Obama and Romney then offered their jobs agenda, responding to a college student concerned about finding a job after graduation.Romney told the student that his question was one that’s being asked by college student across the nation. He said his administration would try to make it easier for students to afford college and promote economic growth to help students.Romney says the nation faces more debt and fewer jobs. He says, quote, “I’m going to change that.”Obama says he would build upon the 5 million private sector jobs created during his first term, pushing for more manufacturing jobs. The president said his policies aimed to improve the education system and promote a variety of energy sources.Both candidates say their tax plans would benefit the middle class and spur job creation, and both are suggesting their opponent’s plan would do the opposite.Romney says cutting tax rates across the board would spur job growth. He says bringing rates down makes it easy for small businesses to keep more of their capital and hire more workers.But Obama, who supports raising tax rates on upper incomes, says Romney’s proposed tax cuts and his calls for increased military spending would add trillions to the federal debt.Obama said to Romney, a former businessman, quote, “You wouldn’t have taken such a sketchy deal.”Romney told the audience they shouldn’t either, referring to Obama’s plan.Responding to a question about pay equity for women, Obama notes that the first piece of legislation he signed made it easier for women to seek the same pay as men for doing the same work.Romney says that as governor of Massachusetts, his administration had a number of women in senior leadership positions. He says many women have suffered job losses and moved into poverty during Obama’s tenure and that creating more jobs would help women.The president questioned Romney’s commitment to women’s health care, pointing to the Republican’s vow to eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood. He calls health care a “pocket book issue” for women and families.Romney says he differs from fellow Republican George W. Bush on energy policy, China and deficits. Obama says the biggest difference is that his GOP rival is more extreme on social issues than Bush.A voter during Tuesday’s town hall-style debate asked Romney how he was different than Bush, who left office deeply unpopular. Romney says that he would govern under different conditions that would allow him to make North America energy independent from Arab and Venezuelan oil. He also says he would crack down on China’s currency manipulation and cut the deficit by increasing trade.Obama was ready with a quick retort. He says Romney, unlike Bush, would cut funding to Planned Parenthood and that Romney would pursue a more stringent immigration policy than Bush did.Obama and Romney clashed over immigration, with Romney accusing Obama of failing to reform the immigration system during his first term.Romney says during the second presidential debate that the nation needs to stop illegal immigration, noting that 4 million people are trying to gain American citizenship legally. He says he won’t grant amnesty to people who come to the U.S. illegally.Obama says Romney has opposed the DREAM Act, a failed bill that would have provided a path to legal status for many young illegal immigrants.He says Republicans in Congress have been unwilling to support comprehensive immigration reform and won’t in the future with Romney as the “standard-bearer” of his party.During the first debate, Obama never mentioned Romney’s videotaped remarks that 47 percent of Americans are dependent on the government. This time it was his closing argument.Obama brought it up during the final question of the second debate, preventing Romney from answering.Asked about public misperceptions of their candidacies, Romney said Obama’s campaign tried to turn him into something he’s not.Romney said – quote – “I care about 100 percent of the American people.”