Lieberman, Cheney lighten tone in debate

Lieberman and Cheney both pledged to be civil, and they were.

But Cheney could not resist one after Lieberman delivered a long list of proposed tax credits, saying, quot;You have to be a CPA Certified Public Accountant to understand what he just said.quot;

Cheney turned the Gore-Lieberman campaign theme of a booming economy around on his opponent, saying he was in fact better off than eight years ago after having joined the private sector as head of Halliburton Co., the world8217;s largest oil field service company.

But he insisted quot;the government had absolutely nothing to do with it.quot;

To which Lieberman responded: quot;I can see my wife, and I think she8217;s thinking, Gee, I wish he would go out into the private sector.8217;quot;

Cheney fired back immediately: quot;Well, I8217;m going to try to help you do that, Joe.quot;

An emotional Lieberman mentioned his mother8217;s advice to be positive in remarks opening the 90-minute debate, and said he regretted that his father, who died 15 years ago, was not alive to witness his candidacy.

quot;My 85-year-old mom gave me some good advice about the debate earlier today,quot; the Connecticut senator said. quot;She said, sweetheart,8217; as she is prone to call me, remember, be positive and know that I will love you no matter what your opponent says about you.8217;quot;

Cheney tweaked Lieberman about his performance of quot;My Wayquot; on late night television.

quot;I too want to avoid any personal attacks and I promise, Joe, not to bring up your singing,quot; Cheney said after Lieberman pledged not to make personal attacks.

quot;Well, I promise not to sing,quot; Lieberman shot back.

But Lieberman got back by quoting a phrase used by Cheney recently when he did not know he was talking into a live microphone. Just after Bush had called a reporter an vulgar name, Cheney agreed with the phrase quot;big time.quot;

In supporting his running mate on Thursday, Lieberman said, quot;Did Al Gore make promises in 1992? Absolutely. Did he deliver? Big time, if I may put it that way.quot;

Even moderator CNN anchor Bernard Shaw adopted a less formal tone throughout the debate, at one point confessing to having lobbed two questions 8212; on racial profiling and gay marriages 8212; at Lieberman in a row.

quot;I should not have done that in terms of rotation. Gentlemen, I apologise,quot; Shaw said, referring to his quot;boo-boo.quot;

quot;We forgive you,quot; Lieberman said. quot;You8217;re human, like we are.quot;

As the debate ended, Lieberman noted that the time had passed quickly. Cheney remarked he had not even looked at his watch 8212; a reference to a 1992 debate when then-President George Bush was criticised for twice peering at his watch while in the middle of a debate with Democrat Bill Clinton and independent Ross Perot.