"Help douse the fire that is raging"

"Unfortunately, every development in Ohio is now subject to incredible claims and speculation.   And why not?  Before an election recount petition can actually begin, Ohio must first "certify" its results.  Now, 4 weeks after the election, (and just 2 weeks before Ohio's 20 electoral votes are sent to Congress) the Ohio certification is still dragging on at a snail's pace.  Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell seems unconcerned.    Did I mention that Kenneth Blackwell was the chairman in Ohio for the Bush-Cheney campaign?  Did you know that based on his timeline for the certification period, recount filing date, and then the recount itself... Ohio will have exactly one day to examine and recount 6 million votes before Ohio's electoral slate is formally sent to Congress? And yet my colleagues and I sometimes wonder why the "conspiracy theorists" on the net are going nuts. 

The fact is, a lot of people over the last month have blown opportunities to tamp down the internet wildfire and restore some confidence in the outcome of the 2004 election.  The exit polling organization (that received $10 million from the networks, by the way) should have come out weeks ago and explained why their exit polls were inaccurate?  I accept the group's quiet explanations that their workers, in some states, were improperly trained and that the mathematical models analysts relied upon throughout the day were problematic.  But the consortium should should swallow their pride, hold a full blown press conference, and help douse the fire that is raging.  And Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell would help himself and the nation by speeding up Ohio's election certification so the recount can start immediately.   The way to get even with those recount petitioners is to prove their allegations baseless and do it well before Ohio's electors are sent to Congress."

Some crazed conspiracy theorist? Some fringe journalist?

Nope. David Shuster, MSNBC News.