Federal Green leader Elizabeth May has come down with a case of keyboard-in-mouth disease. Last month, Ms. May controversially compared Prime Minister Stephen Harper's stance on climate chance to "a grievance worse than Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of the Nazis." Soon after, the prominent environmentalist issued a statement of regret. But her decision to elaborate on that statement seems to have stirred up further controversy.

At issue: earlier this week, Ms. May informed supporters that "the Canadian Jewish congress told me Holocaust survivors had been disturbed (by the controversy). No idea if this is true, but if they were it was by Harper and sensationalist headline writers." Public Eye has been unable to speak with Ms. May about that message, which was posted in a Green discussion group.

But, in a subsequent posting, May wrote that she regrets if she appeared to "question the credibility of the good people who gave me a chance to clarify at the Canadian Jewish Congress. I do not doubt them one bit… I truly regret the hasty and inaccurate message below" - chalking it up to "the perils of writing messages too fast while rushing." The following is a complete copy of that message.

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Ah, the perils of writing messages too fast while rushing.....I realize that what I thought was a private message to Green Party members is now in the press and (of course) that represents the first time I re-read the message.
Please let me be clear to all members, that I have no doubt whatsoever that the whole incident was very upsetting for many people, including me.

Certainly not only Holocaust survivors but others would have been upset.

I do regret that the headline writers and Harper and Baird side show have caused people grief. I also regret that this message appears to question the credibility of the good people who gave me a chance to clarify at the Canadian Jewish Congress. I do not doubt them one bit.

I must be very naive to think that things I write to members on this list serve in the way of emails, short, fast and trying to keep with 300 emails a day are not likely to be public statements. From now on I will communicate less,as each message will require far more care and attention.. This will mean that I am less responsive on these lists as I need to proof-read everything to be certain that hastily written replies are replaced with statements carefully considered.

I truly regret the hasty and inaccurate message below.

Elizabeth