There was an article in this morning's Hawk Eye from Burlington...

[Frustratedlady]

which said there had been complaints of push-polling. As explained the the paper, (Associated Press-Des Moines)...

"In the final days of a close campaign, likely caucus-goers in Iowa report receiving phone calls providing unflattering information on about all three major Democratic presidential hopefuls.

Some of the calls say Sen. Barack Obama's health plan leaves millions uninsured while others say John Edwards' plans for a troop withdrawal from Iraq is dangerous or that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton cannot defeat Republicans in the fall, according to recipients.

In each case, the recipients say a caller pretending to conduct a poll of candidate preferences begins by asking who the caucus-goer intends to support.

"I responded Obama, and she went on to ask if I knew Obama's health care plan left 15 million uninsured," said Pam Jochum, an Iowa state representative from Dubuque.

Jochum said the caller "went into an attack on John Edwards, stating to me that military experts said Edwards' plan to withdraw troops within 10 months could destabilize Iraq."

The use of anonymous phone calls to spread derogatory information about candidates is a frequent occurrence, particularly in the final few days of a campaign. It is often difficult or even impossible to determine the group behind the effort, since they do not readily identify themselves.

Lisa Lovig, an Obama supporter, said she had received similar calls recently from a professed pollster. "It seems like every call I've gotten has been about at least two candidates," she said in a telephone interview. In addition to being provided unflattering information about Obama and Edwards, she said her caller described Clinton as "not very electable in a general election."

Mary Krohnke, who said she is trying to decide between Obama and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, said her caller read her lengthy quotations from newspaper stories. One involved Obama's health care plan and allegations that it would not cover everyone. A second contained information about Obama and his position on nuclear reactors in his home state of Illinois, she said. A third concerned Edwards and Iraq.

Michael Hancock of Coralville said he had received an automated call in the last 24 hours asking him whether he planned to attend a caucus. When he indicated he was, "The next question was whether I planned to watch the BCS-Orange Bowl," a college football game scheduled to be played in Florida on caucus night.

Hancock said he hung up his phone, then said he concluded it was a "transparent attempt to depress turnout from some people."

John Earnest, a spokesman for Obama, criticized the calls.

"Negative campaign tactics like push polls don't reflect the values that are at the core of the Democratic Party and the Iowa caucuses," he said.

Aides to Edwards and Clinton had no immediate reaction.