I agree with your assessment. When VP Cheney did not take the bait, John Edwards was taken aback. The metaphysic reading of Edwards' reaction was "You brute, you brute,youbrute!" ;>
lol!! Is that from Blazing Saddles, the part at the end? "You brute brute brute!! Ohhhh!" lol!!! How did that song go, "Put out your hands, stick out your tush..." I could see Edwards doing that, Kerry too. After all wasn`t it them who said "We have better hair than Bush and Cheney" Ohhh, well yoo hoo to you boys!
He just said it was a smokescreen. End of story.