GOP SAYS DEMOCRATS 'PUSH POLLED'; DEMOCRATS SAY THE ALLEGATIONS ARE UNFOUNDED

Missouri Republican Party leaders Wednesday accused Democrats of using smear tactics in two Bootheel legislative races.

Democratic leaders denied the allegation and accused Republicans of playing political games with the truth.

GOP spokesman Daryl Duwe said Republican Party leaders in Southeast Missouri have received complaints that "push polling" was being used against Republican candidates Lanie Black of Charleston and Judy Wallace of Malden in their state House races.

Push polling is a tactic of hiring telemarketers to deliver highly negative and usually inaccurate messages about a candidate.

"The practice of push polling has been universally condemned by campaign professionals," said Duwe. "There is no accountability for what is said, there is no disclaimer indicating on whose behalf the call is being made and who is paying for it, and the goal of push polling is to depress voter turnout."

In both Bootheel races, the Democratic incumbents aren't seeking re-election. Black is running against Charleston Democrat Betty Hearnes in the 161st House District. Wallace is opposed by Kennett Democrat Phillip Britt in the 163rd House District.

Duwe called on Hearnes and Britt to apologize and end the practice of push polling. But Hearnes, Britt and the Missouri Democratic Party said they hadn't done any push polling.

"I am not apologizing for anything that I haven't done," Hearnes said.

Britt said he hasn't done any polling.

"I am somewhat offended that they would use my name and accuse me of something like that," said Britt, a lawyer. "I have promised my supporters and my opponents that I intend to run a clean campaign," he said.

Britt said a number of Bootheel residents told him they had been polled by telephone and asked questions about the 163rd District race. Britt said they told him that nothing derogatory was said about his Republican opponent.

Missouri Democratic Party spokeswoman Theresa Walker said the state party had contracted with a reputable, out-of-state company to do some polling in the Bootheel, and no push polling was done. "We have never done it. We won't do it," said Walker.

"There is only one party in the state that has a history of push polling, and that is the Republican Party," Walker charged.

Duwe said Democrats have engaged in push polling in the past. He said: "You can't trust what their president says. Why should we trust anything they say?"

Walker said the state GOP used the smear tactic in a special election in northwest Missouri's House District 6 in 1996.

The state GOP paid an Atlanta-based telemarketer to ring up undecided voters. The script asserted that the Democratic candidate owed his allegiance to "the big trial lawyers, the union bosses and the most liberal members of the General Assembly -- members who believe lesbians and gays ought to have the right to get married."

Duwe said he wrote the script. He said the statement was accurate in that the Democratic candidate received donations from House Democrats who co-sponsored bills to repeal Missouri's anti-sodomy law and redefine a household in a way that could acknowledge gay couples.

But Duwe said it was perceived as a push poll. He said he was reprimanded by state Republican Party leaders. "We don't do it any more," he said.

Duwe said he has talked to people in other parts of the state who said they had received calls from pollsters who made false allegations against Republican candidates in other races within the last week.

John Hancock, the executive director of the state GOP, accused Democrats of resorting to dirty tactics that he compared to name calling. He said the Democrats should release all records regarding polling including the name of the polling firm and who is paying for it.

"This campaign ought to be about encouraging the participation of the voters, not a smear campaign that turns people off," Hancock said. "If the Democrats have any respect for the people of the area, they'll call off the dogs."