OTTAWA, July 7 (LifeSiteNews.com) -. A letter has been released by Canadian Alliance interim leader Deborah Gray indicating that one of MP Eric Lowther’s close associates warned him against using negative attacks on Stockwell Day. The letter has been interpreted by Manning supporters as a threat to Lowther that his nomination could be in jeopardy from Day supporters if he does not stop his negative comments. The letter from Ted Morton to Day did not ask Lowther to switch allegiance to Stockwell Day.
Today’s Globe and Mail reports that in response to accusations about the letter “Prof. Morton said he is a good friend of Mr. Lowther’s and was simply trying to offer him friendly advice. He added that the two men have been talking since last January about how Mr. Lowther can protect his job.” Morton also stated to the Globe “I remain one of his greatest admirers and supporters, so it’s absurd to suggest that I would threaten or would use (the letter) as an instrument to threaten a person I support and support so strongly. Deb has completely misinterpreted this”.
In a second Globe article , writer Hugh Winsor states that “the only way one should take his letter seriously is as an example of some astute insider analysis of the current state of the Canadian Alliance leadership race. There is no evidence that Prof. Morton has undertaken this particular civics lesson on behalf of anyone other than himself.”
The Globe article also notes that “By making the letter to Mr. Lowther public, the Manning side has only drawn attention to some of Prof. Morton’s strong points’, with the first Morton item noted that the attacks on Stockwell Day will hurt the party itself.