Tina Fey returned once again to "Saturday Night Live" as Sarah Palin as the late-night comedy show continued its political momentum by offering a parody of last week's vice presidential debate.

Fey kicked off the debate as Palin by saying how nice it was to finally get to meet her running mate Joe Biden, played by "SNL" cast member Jason Sudeikis.

"May I say, up close, your hair plugs don't look nearly as bad as everyone says," Fey's Palin told Biden.

During the sketch, Fey focused on a theme that she and Republican presidential hopeful John McCain were both "a couple of mavericks." 

When asked by debate moderator Gwen Ifill, played by Queen Latifah, how being a maverick would help solve the financial crisis, Fey responded with her characteristically cheerful Palin impression. 

"You know we're gonna take every aspect of the crisis and look at it, and then we're gonna ask ourselves, what would a maverick do with the situation."

Fey also quipped that, "While Senator Biden has been in Washington all these years, I've been with regular people -- hockey moms and Joe six packs. And I'd also like to give a shout out to the third graders of Gladys Woods Elementary, who were so helpful to me in my debate prep."

In the skit, Jason Sudeikis, as Joe Biden, also denied being a political insider. "Don't be telling me that I'm part of the Washington elite because I come from the absolute worst place on earth - Scranton, Pennsylvania."

The debate parody drew huge laughs at the end when the moderator asked Fey's Palin to give a closing statement. "Are we not doing the talent portion?" Fey asks, and then begins playing a flute. Palin was runner-up in the 1984 Miss Alaska beauty pageant.