Senator Mike Duffy's comments 'offend' Danny Williams

It sure didn't take Senator Mike Duffy long to get back into the media spotlight after a lurid turn-of-phrase landed the islander in hot water with two Atlantic Canadian premiers.

Mike Duffy, in his debut speech in the chamber of second sober thought, rallied against the "grotesque scene" of P.E.I. Premier Robert Ghiz joining forces with Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams to protest a cap on equalization payment increases in the federal budget.

As a Conservative senator, the topic wasn't unexpected, but Duffy's innuendo-filled description of the alliance raised a number of eyebrows.

"I was disappointed to see that our dynamic young Premier in Prince Edward Island, Robert Ghiz, has climbed into bed with the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador and honorable Senators know what a grotesque scene that is,'' Duffy told his new colleagues Tuesday.

"Do honorable Senators know what happens when two politicians climb into bed together? One of them comes out on top and I am afraid that when one is in bed with Danny Williams, he will come out on top and I would hate to see where that will leave P.E.I. in the end."

Duffy, who hails from Charlottetown, made similar comments at a Conservative meeting on P.E.I. last Saturday, using even stronger language.

Both premiers have since spoken out against Duffy's comments. Liberal Senator Claudette Tardif called the comments "sexist."

"Duffy was very much over the top," the colourful Williams said in an interview with CTV Atlantic Thursday. "Duffy is being manipulated and told what to do by the venomous, nasty Harper Conservatives."

"It's a terrible statement, quite frankly."

Williams said he was offended by the statement but added "I don't need an apology. Big boy, thick skin."

Ghiz told P.E.I. newspaper The Guardian that Duffy's comments were disappointing.

"Mike Duffy said he wanted to be a senator from Prince Edward Island. I would hope that he would act like one,'' Ghiz told the paper Wednesday.

On Thursday in the Senate, Duffy said he was withdrawing his metaphor but did not apologize.

"Honourable senators, if the metaphor I used in my speech on Feb. 3 was offensive to some members of this chamber, I withdraw the metaphor," Duffy said a terse statement.

Duffy has previously said he meant his comments to be "humourous."

Duffy, a veteran journalist who worked for CTV and CBC over his career, accepted Prime Minister Stephen Harper's offer to join the Senate in December.