No names of candidates are used in the mailers, which say they are authorized and paid for by Citizens for Responsible Government.

The fliers make accusations that Progressive Dane, a left-leaning third party, opposes background checks for day care providers and prospective tenants, and opposed ordinances to get drug dealers off the streets. A series of phone calls were apparently used in tandem with the negative mailing.

Progressive Dane co-Chairwoman Sheila Crowley said the mailings ranged in veracity from "absolutely false" and "half true" to "completely inflammatory."

At a morning news conference, state Rep. Mark Pocan said he was drafting a bill that would strengthen the power of municipalities to make tougher campaign finance laws to fight these tactics. Another way to combat them would be a citizen elections commission similar to what Dane County recently passed, said county Supervisor John Hendrick.

"Right now, you can just put out a front group with the treasurer's name on it and have the treasurer not answer the phone," Hendrick said.

Pocan said the mailers mirror tactics used in state and national elections, and are just now filtering down to places like Madison.

Over the weekend, leaflets targeted Kent Palmer, Steve Holtzman, Randy Glysch, Barbara Vedder and Helen Marks Dicks.

Holtzman was hit by a different mailer, which he estimated was sent out Saturday to 2,000 people.

The attacks come in the form of independent spending from organizations registered with the city clerk. The deadline for campaign finance reports was March 29, covering fund-raising through March 22. Any fund-raising after that would be included on reports due in July, according to the city clerk's office.

As of this morning, four independent committees had registered with the city clerk for city elections. They are: Students for Responsible Government, Committee for Truth in Government, Citizens Against Irresponsible Public Officials and Citizens for Reasonable Government. In filed papers, Citizens for Reasonable Government states it is supported by the Madison Area Apartment Association.

There are no registration records for Citizens for Responsible Government, which claimed it authorized many of the mailers against Progressive Dane.

Earl Mihlbauer is listed as treasurer for both Citizens for Reasonable Government and Citizens for Responsible Government. Efforts to reach him this morning were unsuccessful.

Only the Citizens Against Irresponsible Public Officials filed a campaign finance report - which showed $699.44 were spent in opposition to Holtzman.

Glysch and Dicks were particularly taken aback by the mailings because they don't associate themselves with Progressive Dane.

To combat the negative strike, Glysch went canvassing his northeast side district at dawn with a one-page leaflet clarifying his views.

"I'm not lying down because this crap is out there," Glysch said. "I've worked too hard for this. I'm going to fight to the last minute."

Ald. Santiago Rosas, Glysch's opponent, said today that he sent out a flier to people in his district warning about Progressive Dane's stances, but that it wasn't aimed at Glysch.

He also said Glysch distributed literature accusing him of being "beholden" to wealthy interests who live outside the district, including the Madison Area Apartment Association.

Holtzman also was angry after seeing the negative mailing on Saturday.

But, like Glysch, he gritted his teeth and stayed positive. His modus operandi was to put on bunny ears and tape positive literature to chocolate eggs for hundreds of people in his district.

Holtzman said he dropped off the literature on people's doorsteps Sunday because he didn't want to intrude on their holidays, but some stopped to talk to him anyway. He said some kids followed him around and called him "Mr. Bunny."

Matt Sloan, a 13th District candidate challenging Ald. Napoleon Smith, said it would be difficult to combat such a mail drop, but said, "I hope people see this for what it is - a pretty desperate attempt to smear some good people."

Progressive Dane candidate Kent Palmer said just about every household in the 15th District, where he is challenging incumbent Ald. Dave Schneider, received a flier by mail.

"This is exactly what people are tired of," said Palmer, who predicted that the maneuver would backfire and win votes for Progressive Dane candidates.

"People see through this and realize it's a narrow special interest group playing negative politics as usual," Palmer said.

His campaign will not take any steps to counteract the mailing, he said.

Schneider said he knew nothing of the flier until he received one in the mail on Saturday.

"In some respects, I don't like it," Schneider said. "There's nothing in it that seems untrue, though. Progressive Dane is extremely quiet about their agenda and should be, because it would scare off half the people who are supporting them."

As for the points raised in the flier, Progressive Dane strongly opposed the city's anti-loitering ordinance that supporters said would discourage drug dealers and also has opposed criminal background checks of prospective tenants, Schneider said.

As for other Progressive Dane positions that ought to concern voters, Schneider pointed to support for construction of new public housing and a prohibition on transferring people out of temporary housing while they are waiting for permanent affordable housing.

"Talk about expense," said Schneider. "Yet Palmer's literature says he would cut wasteful spending. You can't have it both ways."

Schneider said the media should have done a better job of letting voters know "what Progressive Dane is up to."