Spiritual guru Marianne Williamson told a group of Hollywood insiders on Sunday that she wants to "represent your consciousness" in an independent run against Henry Waxman (D-CA) for Congress.
Williamson, 61, announced two weeks ago that she is running as an independent for what is arguably already the most liberal seat in the House. But she made the case on Sunday for a candidacy that is based, she says, on her concern for the future of democracy.
"Are we prepared to see our democracy dismantled by the influence of money in politics?" she asked at the home of Nancy Moonves, an event hosted by Marcia Cross and Frances Fisher and packed with Hollywood figures like writer Diane English and composer Diane Warren.
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"I have a problem that so many are poor," she told the crowd. "That we are tilting the resources of the public purse in the direction of those who already have. It's immoral, unethical and unsustainable."
Williamson became a best-selling author in the '80s and '90s with a spiritual message of self-improvement and became a favorite of the media and Hollywood then. I asked her why she decided to run for Congress at a time when that body seems particularly ineffective.
"I'm running because like a lot of people I fell our country has swerved away from some of its most important foundational principles," she said. "I felt the only way we will course correct is if a lot of people, unfiltered, speak up. And we have to do more than speak, we have to run."
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But Williamson has chosen to run against a popular incumbent. Waxman (no relation to this writer) has had his seat in the 33rd District for 38 years.
Williamson said she has nothing against Waxman. "He's done a good job. But we need fresh ideas," citing her concern over corruption of the food supply, the overcrowding in prisons and her opposition to nuclear energy.
"He's been fighting the good fight against the greedy bastards. But this is about a much bigger conversation that I hope this will inspire. "
Marcia Cross said it was time for more women candidates. "It's time for a new point of view that's not about power or money," she told TheWrap. "She speaks to that and embraces that and can begin that change from start to finish."
Nancy Moonves agreed. "Marianne has inspired me since I met her six years ago as a friend and activist," she told TheWrap. "We need feminine energy, we need a kind voice in our politics."
Said Williamson: "No one enters a political campaign with a guarantee to win. This is a calling of my heart to do this. I feel this campaign is already successful."
The post Marianne Williamson, Spiritual Guru, Runs for Congress to 'Represent Your Consciousness' (Exclusive) appeared first on TheWrap.
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