WASHINGTON (AP) -- Four years ago, Joe Biden was careful not to appear overly aggressive in the vice presidential debate with Sarah Palin, then a newcomer to the national stage.
But Biden is less concerned about coming across like a bully as he prepares to debate Rep. Paul Ryan on Thursday.
Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm says Vice President Biden will play "more hardball" against Ryan, a 14-year House veteran and the top Republican budget writer.
Vice presidential debates usually don't matter as much as presidential face-offs. But both parties say the stakes for Thursday's clash in Kentucky are higher because of President Barack Obama's lackluster performance in his debate last week against Republican challenger Mitt Romney.
Romney's performance helped him cut into Obama's lead in key battleground states.
