The McCain people are telling the AP they had McCain speak before a tiny audience "by design."

From the AP ...

In a symbolic move, Obama spoke in the same hall where McCain will accept the Republican nomination at his party's convention in September. Campaign officials, citing the local fire marshal, put the crowd at 17,000 inside the eXcel Energy Center, plus another 15,000 outside.

McCain addressed a smaller crowd by design, an estimated 600 in his audience and another 600 outside.

I'm not sure who sounds sillier, the McCain camp for saying that or the AP for buying it.