On the brink of a 10-state election that could doom his candidacy, John Edwards shed his nice-guy approach in a debate Sunday and accused John Kerry of spouting “the same old Washington talk” on critical issues like trade and deficit spending.

Edwards dismissed suggestions that he is quietly vying to be Kerry’s running mate. “Oh, no! Far from it,” he said, then took on Kerry in tougher-than-ever terms.

The New York City debate - sponsored by CBS and the New York Times - took place today, less than 48 hours before the ten-state Super Tuesday primaries.

Both Kerry and Edwards took swipes at President Bush in regards to the turmoil in Haiti:

“This president always makes decisions late after things have happened that could have been different had the president made a different decision earlier,” Kerry said. “I never would have allowed it to get out of control the way it did.”

“He’s ignored Haiti the same way he’s ignored most of the countries in this hemisphere,” Edwards said of Bush. “We should have been engaged over a long period of time, in a serious way, at least through diplomacy, not to allow this to get to a crisis situation where it now is.”

The two candidates also sparred over free trade.

Edwards reiterated his promise to stay in the race no matter what happens on Tuesday:

Asked in the debate if he would remain in the race if he lost all ten races on Tuesday, Edwards replied, “Yes, ma’am, I’m going to be the nominee.”

Oh, yes. Kucinich was there as well, still plugging away. He once again called for U.S. troops to be pulled out of Iraq.

God even made an appearance in today’s debate. Figuratively speaking.

In a time of terror, the candidates were asked whether Bush was right to say God is on America’s side.

“We pray that God is on our side, and we pray hard,” Kerry said. “And God has been on our side for most of our existence.”

Edwards said President Lincoln was once asked to join in a prayer about God being on America’s side, and quoted the former president as replying, “I won’t join you in that prayer, but I’ll join you in a prayer that we’re on God’s side.”