Stephane Dion apologizes to prime minister's aide...well sort of

Liberal opposition leader, Stephane Dion was forced to backtrack on a previous statement that he had made against Prime Minister Stephen Harper's spokesman, Dimitri Soudas. Earlier, he had suggested that the prime minister's spokesman was a party to extortion in August 2006.

This was in response to reports that the official intervened behind closed doors on behalf of a Montreal developer in a dispute with the Public Works Department.

"That means that there was an attempt to extort taxpayers funds to benefit a party supporter and therefore change the decision process and (they say) it's not important because it didn't succeed. I think the prime minister has a lot to explain."

A lawyer for Dimitri Soudas says he was defamed by Dion and insisted on a public apology no later than next Wednesday in a letter sent to the opposition leader.

"Your allegation that Mr. Soudas was party to extortion . . . is patently false,'' said the letter to Dion from the Lang Michener firm.

"At no time did our client act illegally or use an official position or powers to obtain property, funds, or patronage.

"Your defamatory statement was calculated to maliciously disparage our client as a person and as a public official, and is actionable as such.''

After question period on Thursday, Dion said: "Yesterday I used an inappropriate word: `extortion' attempt. I apologize for that, and that was not the appropriate word.

Ooops, I don't think that this is the first time that Dion has put his foot in his mouth.