Ontario Liberals link Conservative Leader Tim Hudak to 'extremist' Tea Party movement

Tim Hudak campaign hires Tea Party strategist Michael Prell

Toronto - On Thursday, the Liberals sent out a news release where they accused PC Leader Tim Hudak of having links to the United States’ Tea Party Movement, which the Grits say is a “right-wing extremist movement.”

According to Premier Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals, Hudak hired “strategist for the Tea Party Patriots” Michael Prell.  The political commentator and conservative columnist is the owner of Sterling Communications and notes that Hudak’s campaign manager Mark Spiro is his best friend and business partner.

Prior to joining the PC campaign, the author of “Underdogma: How America’s Enemies Use Our Love for the Underdog to Trash American Power” collaborated with several Republican politicians during the last year’s mid-term elections.  Many of who affiliated themselves with the Tea Party.

He also received a book endorsement from Minnesota Congresswoman and 2012 presidential candidate Michelle Bachmann.

Alicia Johnston, a Liberal Party staffer, has yet to respond to an email requesting comment.

Poll

A new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll suggests that the Tories are holding a seven-point lead over the governing Liberals.  The online survey shows that Hudak’s PCs have 38 percent support, McGuinty’s Grits are sitting with 31 percent and Andrea Horwath’s New Democrats are at third with 24 percent.

The online survey was conducted with 1,002 randomly selected Ontario adults between Aug. 25 and Aug. 28.  The survey contains a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.

Ontario voters head to the polls on Oct. 6.