Representatives of the national Democratic Party are making a stealth visit to Minneapolis to look over the city's ability to host the party's 2012 national convention.

The party refused to confirm the dates when its representatives would be in town or to respond to e-mails about the visit schedule. But local sources listed Sunday through Thursday of this week as the time that the party would be visiting Minneapolis, one of four finalists for the convention. The party's blackout extended even to publicly supported agencies.

A representative of Meet Minneapolis, the city's convention and visitor bureau, said the bureau would not provide information about the Democrats' schedule, although the bureau derives most of its funding from sales and hospitality taxes paid in Minneapolis.

"We are kind of under confidentiality, so I can't talk about the specifics of the site visit. It's just a part of the process," said Kristin Montag, the organization's marketing communication director. Tentative plans by Meet Minneapolis head Melvin Tennant and Mayor R.T. Rybak to meet with reporters on Monday afternoon to discuss the party visit were scrapped.

"There's so little we could say that it's hardly worth anyone's time," John Stiles, Rybak's spokesman, said Monday. In a statement, Rybak said the visit would focus on such issues as transportation, security and hotels.

The absence of access is in contrast with four years ago, when substantial publicity accompanied visits by Democratic and Republican officials as the Twin Cities sought to land each party's 2008 convention. The GOP did convene in St. Paul in '08, while the Democrats gathered in Denver.

Opponents of Minneapolis' hosting the 2012 Democratic convention were less close-mouthed than officials, with about 20 people rallying near Target Field on Sunday. "Help us put a stop to the next police riot in the Twin Cities," the group's announcement said, a reference to clashes between St. Paul police and some protesters that occurred during the 2008 GOP convention.

Hamline University Prof. David Schultz, a specialist in government ethics and campaign finance, said he could offer two hypotheses why the Democratic visit is being kept under wraps. "[Officials] may be having to offer some concessions or some deals to the DNC and they may not want the public to know what's going on during the deal-making stage," he said.

Another possibility, he said, is that the public is less excited than political leaders about landing another convention, remembering traffic congestion and police-protester clashes in 2008. "It's going to be a pain in the butt," he said of another convention. "I think there's a huge gap between what the political leadership wants and the average citizen."

About the only portion of the site visit to be disclosed was a stop scheduled for Monday at the Metrodome, which Rybak would prefer for the actual convention because the security perimeter wouldn't clog the rest of downtown.

According to Bill Lester, executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, the visit was to focus on the Dome's technical capabilities as well as such features as room for vendors. He said the party's fact-finding group will next go to the competing cities of Charlotte, N.C., Cleveland and St. Louis. Lester said he expects a decision to be made by party officials later this year.

That decision often reflects the party's view of which site will advance the party's electoral interests. Several national handicappers have ranked Minneapolis low on that scale, in part because of President Obama's 54 percent tally in Minnesota in 2008.

Rybak has said he's confident that the city will rank well against other finalists for its ability to host a convention, based in part on its experience in accommodating Republican National Convention visitors.

Staff writers Kevin Duchschere and Joy Powell also contributed to this article.

Steve Brandt • 612-673-4438