GOP Dirty Tricks in MN 2?

Voters expressing support for Democratic candidate Coleen Rowley have been receiving calls giving inaccurate and misleading information, according to the Rowley campaign.  Rowley’s camp alleges that the calls are being made to help incumbent Rep. John Kline (R-MN02).

The calls apparently originate from a cellular phone number in Manhattan.  The caller allegedly asks voters if they support Rowley, and if so, they advise callers “that they must go to other polling places (not their own) and can only vote during limited hours.”

Minnesota Monitor called the telephone number reported by the Rowley campaign and left a message requesting comment.

“So often people get thrown off base by those things.  He didn’t identify any organization, and he didn’t give his name,” said Russell Simmons, Executive Assistant for the Rowley campaign.  “Clearly it was done for the benefit of John Kline.”

There have been a number of allegations of Republican dirty tricks nationwide.  The online website TPMMuckracker.com has reported that the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee has been making repeated robocalls that appear to originate from Democratic candidates, evidently in an effort to turn off Democratic supporters.