Lowell Cannaday Push Polling?

Yesterday, Tim Rogers on D Magazine's blog, Frontburner, posted an item about possible push-polling by the Republican candidate for Dallas County Sheriff, Lowell Cannaday. Apparently, Frontburner reader sent the following:

Just got a push poll call on behalf of sherriff candidate Lowell Cannaday. Claiming to be a 45-second poll and pausing to record my answers, it first asked me whom I’d support in the sherriff’s race and then proceeded to ask questions that dealt with Lupe Valdez’s “failures” in office and had just gotten down to her sexuality when I hung up. Wonder if any of your other readers have gotten this.

So that got me wondering - was Cannaday behind the push-polling, and did it get as bad as that writer - and other commenters - made it out to be? So I e-mailed the Cannaday campaign to ask. My e-mail said:

I am a Dallas writer who has recently heard reports from several people of push-polling about Lupe Valdez. The poll detailed some of her "failures" in office, but then began bringing up her sexuality as well. This leads me to a few questions: Is this a poll done by the Cannaday campaign, or under its auspices? If so, why the questions about her sexuality? Also, given several polls that suggest negative campaigning, is it considered to be a risky move to engage in something that many people view in a negative light? Thank you in advance for your time in answering these questions. Bethany Anderson

Today, I got a response (I won't exactly say answer, and you'll see why when you read further):

Bethany,

The questions on the poll did not contain any questions about sexuality. None. Zero.

This is something an unknown blogger (to us) on the DMagazine FrontBurner blogsite started to try and create an issue where there is none.

regards,

Peggy Lundy

Now, while that didn't answer all my questions, it did seem to imply the following: Lowell Cannaday was push-polling and Peggy Lundy thinks DMag got punked (I think). But this now begs the following question: Did someone go off script in this polling, or is someone fibbing? UPDATE: Tim explains here.