US President Barack Obama and Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney are participating in the second round of national debate ahead of the November 6 elections. Here are the highlights:
On job creation:Obama: Have created 5 million jobs in the last four years.
Romney: The middle class has been crushed over the last four years and jobs have been too scarce. There are 23 million people looking for a job. President Obama's policies haven't put Americans back to work. The unemployment rate was 7.8 per cent in 2008, and it is same now.
On energy policy:Obama: Romney has 'one-point plan' to favour those at the top, says US President Barack Obama. Mr Romney's plan is to let oil companies 'write US energy policy'.
Romney: The President cut in half licences for drilling on federal land or federal water. I want to make sure we use our oil, coal, gas and renewable sources of energy but what we don't need is for the President to keep us from taking advantage of oil coal and gas. I'll make us more energy independent by bringing good jobs back to America.
On women and healthcare:Romney: In the last four years, 580 thousand jobs lost to women. Need to help women in America in the workforce.
Obama: 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.
On Obama's record:Obama: I told you I would cut taxes for middle class, I did. Refocus attention on 9/11, I did. Osama is dead. I said we would end Iraq. I did. I said healthcare will be made affordable. I did that. Would reign in excesses of Wall Street- I've done that. I have revived auto industry. Doesn't mean it's all done. Still have a long way to go. Commitments I've made I've kept. Those I haven't kept, I will do so in second term if I come back. Romney will also do that I suppose, like not asking for a dime from millionaires and billionaires, cut planned parenthood funding, repeal Obamacare - who's promises are more likely to help you in the future?
Romney: We just can't afford four more years like last four years. Nine million Americans without work. He said he would have by now put forward a plan to reform social security and medicare, he hasn't done anything. Immigration plan, not filed. He's not been able to do what he said he would do. Unemployment not reduced in this country. 47 million people on food stamps. Economy growing more slowly than last year. We have a record to look at. Doesn't show he has been able to cut deficit, increase jobs. This election is about who can get the middle class a bright and prosperous future.
We have four consecutive years when he said when he was running for office that he would cut the deficit in half - instead he's doubled it. We've gone from $10 trillion of national debt to $16 trillion of national debt. If the president were re-elected, we'd go to almost $20 trillion of national debt. This puts us on a road to Greece.
On China: Romney: China has been a currency manipulator for years and years. On day one, I will label China a currency manipulator. Any investments I have made over the last eight years have been by blind trusts and they include investments outside of the United States, including Chinese companies.
Obama: When he talks about getting tough on China, keep in mind that Governor Romney invested in companies that were pioneers of outsourcing to China. Governor, you're the last person to get tough on China.
Romney: Mr. President, have you looked at your pension?
Obama: I don't look at my pension, it's not as big as yours...
On immigration:Romney: Obama wants to make it easier for people who want to come legally. But those who come illegally? When the president ran for office, he said that he would put in place in his first year a piece of legislation, file a bill in his first year, that would reform our immigration system, protect legal immigration, stop illegal immigration. He didn't do it
Obama: If we are going to go after people here illegally, we should first go after criminals, not after students or people here to figure out how to feed families. I've also said for young people who come here whose children are born here, they think of themselves as American. We should give them a pathway to citizenship.
During republican primary Romney said he would veto the dream act and encourage self-deportation, making life so miserable that people will leave themselves. Law enforcement was being given clearances in Arizona to stop people who look like they could be undocumented workers. We can fix this system in a comprehensive way.
Romney: I didn't say Arizona law is a model for the nation.
Romney asked how he was different than fellow Republican George W Bush:Romney: President Bush and I are different people and these are different times. And that's why my five-point plan is so different from what he would have done.
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.
On attack on US embassy in Libya:Obama: We are going to find out exactly what happened, everyone will be held accountable, these are my folks. You know I mean what I say.
Romney: He takes responsibility for failure of security in Benghazi. Other issues associated with tragedy. Many days passed before we knew if this was a terror strike or spontaneous demonstration. Whether we just didn't know or weren't told, you decide. Find that troubling. On the day following assassination, we didn't know, President flies to Las Vegas for pol fundraiser, etc. These actions have symbolic significance. And perhaps material significance. It calls into question the entire Middle-East policy.
Obama: We don't play politics when people are killed.
On Romney's 47 per cent remark: Romney: I care about 100 per cent of the American people.
Obama: When Romney said "behind closed doors" that 47 per cent of the country considered themselves victims, think about who he was talking about. That group included the elderly receiving Social Security retirement benefits, veterans, students and soldiers. If they succeed, I believe this country succeeds.