Marianne Williamson for Congress? or "I Need a Hug!"

So far, there are only two "viable" challengers against Congressman Henry Waxman for the 33rd Congressional District in 2014.

There’s Hollywood producer Brent Roske of Malibu, who is running a shoe-string campaign (individual donations aplenty). If he wins, Roske wants to co-represent with Waxman for one year, then take over for the next year. Not faulting Waxman’s record, but his lengthy tenure, Roske argues that the district needs new, more media-oriented leadership.

I glibly retitled Roske's campaign: "Henry Waxman, will you marry me?"

Then there's this guru gal: spiritual author and motivational speaker Marianne Williamson. Holistically speaking, Williamson the New Age guru lives just outside the 33rd Congressional District, in West Hollywood. She is not only aiming to take down Waxman, now entering his fortieth year in office, but to bring harmonious balance back to the Beltway. Political handicappers are actually taking this woman's run seriously. She certainly is. Her Congressional flyers in the El Segundo public library depicted an American flag with doves flying instead of stars spangled in a banner. Peace, yo!

In November 2013, she graced the cover of Natural Awakenings Magazine. Of course, there was no mention of her Congressional run, since such blatant electioneering would violate California campaign laws. She has to watch her political wrangling in our hyper-regulated political culture. Whatever happened to good karma with free speech?

About her column on middle age in Natural Awakenings and discovering ourselves: not veruy meaty reading. We still have the power to redeem our lives, she claims. Does she have the sand to take away the 33rd Congressional District from Henry Waxman? Or the soul, or the substance, for that matter? At least she toured the Patch.com circuits later on.

Her notion of redemption does not spring from our minds tabula rasa. There is an understanding inside of all men, inside of all humanity, that we live in a fallen earth, that death is an enemy, and that something needs to be done about it. Deep.

While her seemingly uplifting piece in "Natural Awakenings" appears to open up new vistas of experience and life, she is merely spinning an old sale of humanized, old time religion. Redemption through the political process is at best a fool’s errand. People cannot go to Washington to change it, but they should resist the growing pull of the state into our daily lives.

As part of her piece-meal PR, Williamson lectures in LA-area coffee houses and encourages people to embrace their inner child. Washington is not a children's playground, or child's play, but the most exposed reservoir of selfish ambition, masquerading as service to one's country. Or the most partisan resistance to a governor gone wild, and expecting to get wilder. Campaigning is more than humming a mantra and chanting “Ohm!” Telling people that Summing up Waxman’s career in Congress could be summed up with “I don’t know!” “I’m sorry!” and “We’re not broke!” might raise voters’ consciousness.

Last week, LA Weekly ran a cover piece on candidate Williamson’s desire to bring peace to Washington and heal the soul of Congress. Congress does not have a soul, and government does not need to be healed as much as amputated or euthanized. Like a lot of self-help, lotions and potions guru-types, she wants more government to help bring peace to our ravaged, savaged land. No, Ms. Williamson, the answer is not more of the state, but to state that we need less of the state in our lives.

No, Ms. Williamson, redemption in Washington will not spring forth from an Independent who will caucus with Democrats (how is this independent, again?). She is playing the same card as wealthy Manhattan Beach Laundromat scion Bill Bloomfield in 2012, and yet she is still convinced that an Independent in so partisan a fray as Washington can alter the balance of power, or should I say soothe the soul?

Bloomfield believed (feel the spirit!) that he would force minority leader Nancy Pelosi and House Speaker John Boehner to negotiate which committees he would sit on. Don’t get me wrong: I supported Bloomfield in 2012, but his chutzpah was duly rewarded (er, thwarted): Bloomfield lost 54-46. A swing of five points would have gotten him elected (Romney’s fault!). Then again, what would the constituents of the 33rd Congressional District have won? Waxman-lite, who did not want to repeal Obamacare? At least he supported Keystone, school choice, tort reform, fiscal responsibility.

The free-market Ludwig Von Mises Institute investigated the political impulses of most Spiritual gurus (Liberty in Aquarius?). “Spiritual” types ironically end up favoring more government power. So much for individual liberty. And redemption. Williamson has nothing new to bring to Washington, really.

Spiritually speaking, the prospective challengers against Henry Waxman for 2014 are not in tune with my inner groove. A Hollywood something, a spiritual something else, and maybe a Manhattan Beach billionaire will run. How sad, uninvolved, and uneventful can a political contest get, even with Waxman facing major liabilities (Obamacare, NSA, Benghazi)? Yet no conservative wants to run. How left-leaning has the Santa Monica Bay become?

Forget redeeming Washington. I need a hug!