The Heck with Substance

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By Howard Kurtz

Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 8, 2008; 10:12 AM

NASHVILLE -- Here, as a torrential rain pelted the roof of the media tent after an unusually serious debate, is your press corps in action:

Newsweek's Howard Fineman: "What did you think of Senator McCain calling Obama 'that one'?"

"I thought it was odd. . . . Senator Obama has a name," said Obama strategist David Axelrod.

"Inside Edition" guy: "It didn't seem like there were any knockout punches."

Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs: McCain "didn't look comfortable. . . . He was pacing around. . . . I thought he looked agitated."

Reporter: "Are you saying he's temperamentally unsuited to be president?"

British reporter to McCain strategist Charlie Black: Obama people are grumbling about "that one" comment.

Black: "Please, tell them to talk about substance!"

British guy: We expected to hear about Bill Ayers.

Black: "You guys make this stuff up! We never said that."

Reporter to McCain strategist Steve Schmidt: What about "that one"?

Schmidt: "They're trying to turn a nothing into something."

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