Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and Democratic rival Joe Biden sparred over healthcare policy during their debate Thursday night in St. Louis.

Palin, Alaska's governor, said GOP presidential nominee John McCain is proposing a $5,000 tax credit for families so that they can get out there and they can purchase their own healthcare coverage. And that's a smart thing to do. That's budget neutral.

Speaking directly to the camera in the televised debate, she said Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama wants to mandate healthcare coverage and have this universal, government-run program ... I don't think that it's going to be real pleasing for Americans to consider healthcare being taken care (of) by the feds.

You know how John McCain pays for his $5,000 tax credit you're going to get, a family will get?, Biden responded. He taxes as income every one of you out there ... who has a healthcare plan through your employer. That's how he raises $3.6 trillion ... taxing your healthcare benefit, to give you (a) $5,000 plan, which, his Web site points out, will go straight to the insurance company.

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