Politicians' homes vandalized

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Police say vandals spray-painted hate messages on the homes and garages of six Democratic and Republican members of Congress from Minnesota.

"U R A CRIMINAL RESIGN OR ELSE! PSALM 2" and "SCUM," were painted on the garage of Republican Sen. Norm Coleman in St. Paul, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Thursday.

Similar comments were scrawled at the Minneapolis residences of Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Keith Ellison, both Democrats, and on the garages of Reps. Michele Bachmann of Stillwater, Jim Ramstad of Minnetonka and John Kline of Lakeville, all three Republicans, the Star Tribune reported.

Police from the different jurisdictions are coordinating their investigations with the Capitol Police in Washington, the Star Tribune reported, noting the graffiti was sprayed on all the buildings late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

Kathryn Pearson, a political science professor at the University of Minnesota, said while the 2008 election cycle has been exceptionally heated, the vandalism takes it to a new level.

"This is very unusual and quite disturbing," Pearson said.