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GOP targeted by anonymous phone calls

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- A U.S. public school teachers union is denying any role in recorded calls to seniors apparently designed to scare them about proposed Social Security reform.

A recorded message was phoned to an undetermined number of seniors in 17 Republican House districts this week warning their representatives supported "privatizing Social Security," USA Today reported Friday.

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Recipients were given a toll-free number that connected them to Capitol Hill, where they could express concerns.

The number belonged to the American Federation of Teachers, which said its line was hijacked. It has since disconnected the line.

Nevertheless, the calling campaign produced thousands of frightened and angry calls to Republican lawmakers from 13 states, who blasted the move as the cowardly tactics of Democratic interest groups.

"The dirty tricks have begun," said Ross Baker, a political scientist at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

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