Minnesota has a history of fair and clean elections, and we are committed to ensuring that this election is no different. That is why it is so troubling to us that instead of the normal slight changes in vote totals one would expect during this process, we are now seeing huge chunks of votes appearing and disappearing - statistically dubious and improbable shifts that are overwhelmingly accruing to the benefit of Al Franken. And, as many of these unexplained and improbably vote swings are taking place on the Iron Range, we're asking that local and state election officials provide us with the necessary data to reassure the public that the canvassing process has not been tainted.
I expect that any statistical analysis of the numbers as they have fluctuated since initial election night numbers would show a true random walk scenario within a very tight variance bound. Millions of votes, variance in the hundreds.
Honestly, whether or not you like the trending, Cullen, you don't know jack about statistics so choose your language more sensibly.
Remember folks, these are the same people guilty of extreme political premature ejaculation - what else would you call it - this image, the opening splash-screen of the Norm Coleman campaign website, Nov. 5, the morning after election day:
this image, this morning's current screenshot, Saturday, Nov. 8:
_________UPDATE________
Not to overstress the term "political hack," this is the same Cullen Sheehan who gave us this unforgetable press response, (this version, one of many published on the web, is from Blueman's post):
The transcript from the event. It's pretty freakin amazing, Sheehan dodges the question 12 times, getting him a nomination into the American Dodgeball Assocation of America Hall of Fame.
REPORTER: On a different subject is there a reason that the Senator won’t say whether or not someone else bought some suits for him?
CULLEN SHEEHAN: Rachel, the Senator has reported every gift he has ever received.
REPORTER: That wasn’t my question, Cullen.
CULLEN SHEEHAN: The Senator has reported every gift he has ever received. We are not going to respond to unnamed sources on a blog.
REPORTER: So Senator Coleman’s friend has not bought these suits for him? Is that correct?
CULLEN SHEEHAN: The Senator has reported every gift he has ever received.
REPORTER: Why would say that? Why wouldn’t you give us an answer, “yes” or “no” on that?
CULLEN SHEEHAN: He’s recorded every gift he has ever received.
REPORTER: We haven’t asked whether he has recorded every gift he has ever received and I will take his word that he has recorded every gift he has received. Has he ever received a gift of suits?
CULLEN SHEEHAN: He’s reported every gift he has ever received.
REPORTER: If the answer is “no,” then why don’t you say “no”?
CULLEN SHEEHAN: He has reported every gift he has ever received, Rachel.
TwoPuttTommy: Cullen, who’s name is on Senator Coleman’s utility bill in DC?
CULLEN SHEEHAN: Is there any other questions from the Capitol press corps?
REPORTER: What about his, uh, Laurie, Mrs. Coleman’s job at Hays Company? Do you know what she did there?
CULLEN SHEEHAN: Again, they have disclosed everything they need to disclose on the Senate ethics forms.
REPORTER: So the Senator will only go according to the Senate ethics laws, rather, rules rather than answer questions?
CULLEN SHEEHAN: He has done everything that he is required to do, Rachel.
REPORTER: But that is not my question, Cullen.
CULLEN SHEEHAN: But that is my response.
REPORTER: Senator Coleman has talked a lot about campaign finance and transparency. He’ll repeat that: “transparency, transparency, that’s what you need to have.” If there are questions about whether he was a recipient of some very expensive suits and whether those were gifted to him in an appropriate way, why not just clear it all up? Because it is very unclear to us.
CULLEN SHEEHAN: He does that every year as a United States Senator on his Senate disclosure forms.
REPORTER: And will we find information about clothing on those forms?
CULLEN SHEEHAN: If it exceeds a gift limit, yes.
REPORTER: So is it possible that he received these suits and it was below gift limit?
CULLEN SHEEHAN: Uh, the Senator has reported every gift he has ever received.
REPORTER: It’s a little puzzling Cullen, why you won’t say whether or not he received these gifts and I understand that you don’t have respond to everything on blogs but you are getting questions from reporters and I don’t see why you aren’t answering that. Can you explain that a little to me?
CULLEN SHEEHAN: Yeah Rachel, we are not going to respond to unnamed sources on blogs. That is what we are going to do every day from now until election is over. The Senator has disclosed everything that he is required to disclose and recorded everything that he is required to report.
REPORTER: But Cullen if the Senator did nothing wrong here and that is what you are saying then just tell us that and the issue will go away.
CULLEN SHEEHAN: The Senator has reported every gift he’s ever received.
REPORTER: Did the Senator do anything wrong here?
CULLEN SHEEHAN: The Senator has done nothing wrong and reported every gift he’s ever received.
REPORTER: And you don’t know what Mrs. Coleman did for Hays Companies?
CULLEN SHEEHAN: And again whatever has been required to be disclosed about her income and what she does has been disclosed.
See also, Crabgrass, here, and Oxdown Gazette, here; see also, Harpers, here, here, here, and here. Special local credit, e.g., here.