BALDASARO STILL WANTS TO LEAD TORIES

OTTAWA -- Self-styled "Reverend" Michael Baldasaro of the
pot-worshipping Church of the Universe says he's still a candidate for
the federal Conservative party leadership, no matter what the Tories
say.

And he held a press conference on Parliament Hill Tuesday to ask "All
the little people" to vote for him and his platform of giving the boot
to lawyers and big business and legalizing marijuana.

Baldasaro who failed to file the $30,000 deposit and 250 name petition
required for candidates last July, said he's still in the race because
he's challenging the leadership rules before the Federal Court.

That, claims Baldasaro, means the rules are moot until the court
decides, and therefore can not be enforced.

A Tory official disagreed. "Baldasaro is not a candidate, and any
ballot that has his name written on it will be counted as spoiled,"
said Tory headquarters spokesman Chris Breen.

Breen confirmed that Baldasaro has filled "some documents" but said
the party is "not too worried about that" and its rules remain in
place and valid.

Meanwhile, the full bearded, hemp clad Baldasaro and his "campaign
manager" and fellow "reverend" Walter Tucker, used Tuesdays press
conference to announce a court challenge, the legality of the
marijuana laws.

Baldasaro called the war on drugs "a holocaust" and said that
pot-smokers are " the Jews of today", because they are persecuted. He
also said punishment for marijuana crimes is "just like they did when
they killed the babies looking for Jesus", in the Bible Christmas story.

Baldasaro and Tucker run their "church" from a trailer at the
abandoned Kanmet foundry in Cambridge, having been evicted from
another old foundry in Guelph, where Baldasaro once ran for mayor.

Both foundries were donated to Baldasaro's church by businessman John
Long who dropped out of the Tory leadership race last July.

Checked-by: Rich O'Grady