‘We have people literally dying in our streets…’
(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) A well-known television doctor, based in California, is fed up with his congressman’s refusal to address the state’s growing homelessness crisis.
So “Dr. Drew” Pinsky might run for Congress and challenge his sitting representative: House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff.
“I wake up every day and drive through this town and I am morally moved where I feel like I have to do something,” Pinsky, the former host of “Loveline,” told The Hill. “We have people literally dying in our streets.”
The city, county and state governments are “not functioning,” Pinsky added.
But what really motivated him to begin thinking about a serious congressional run was the House impeachment hearings, which revealed just how disinterested California Democrats are in addressing real problems, he explained.
“I was watching all the impeachment proceedings and I was going, ‘Oh my God, our Congress is tied up and we’re dying out here in California. What are these people doing?’”
Pinsky said that if he were to run, it would be to motivate Schiff to start caring about his constituents more.
The medical professional described himself as “very moderate,” and said he changes his political party affiliation often.
“I thought, ‘Oh my God, I have to run for that office at least just to get him to start participating in the governance of this region,’” he said. “Believe me, I don’t want to. I’d have to change my whole life, and I’m not really prepared to do that yet.”
But he’s willing to do just that if that’s what it takes: “The fact that I keep thinking about it tells me how profound the problems are, that I feel obliged to, maybe, turn my life upside down just to get things governed out here.”
When asked how he’d respond to those hesitant to accept another famous name in politics, Pinsky said: “I would say my eyes are rolling, too. I’d rather not be here. Point me in another direction where we can help the citizens of California, please. I’m all ears.”