PRESIDENTIAL RACE | Steady Pence gets wide praise, but Kaine lands jabs on Trump

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Mike Pence won bipartisan plaudits for a calm and collected performance in the vice presidential debate. But Democrat Tim Kaine was claiming mission accomplished for forcing his opponent to confront – or not – Donald Trump's long list of provocative remarks.

Pressed by Kaine to defend his running mate throughout the 90-minute debate Tuesday, Pence mostly dodged, sidestepped or let the moment pass by. He vouched for the billionaire's tax history, but was less vocal when challenged about Trump's temperament or his inflammatory words about women and President Barack Obama.

"I can't imagine how Gov. Pence can defend the insult-driven, me-first style of Donald Trump," said Kaine, the Virginia senator and Hillary Clinton's No. 2.

Still, even Clinton's team wasn't claiming that Kaine had come out on top, despite the chest-puffing that usually follows a political debate. Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said only that Kaine had succeeded in his "strategic mission" to challenge Pence to defend his controversial running mate.

"Gov, Pence was smooth, he seemed sort of likable, but he didn't get the job done," Podesta said today on MSNBC.

Pence, campaigning in Virginia, said Trump had called him late at night to congratulate him. He said "some people" thought he had won but that "from where I sat, Donald Trump won the debate."