Kirsten Powers Quote
The illiberal left does not share this commitment. Their burgeoning philosophy in favor of government power to curtail freedom of thought, speech, and conscience is troubling. Environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—a graduate of one of the nation’s most elite law schools, the University of Virginia—said in a September 2014 interview of those who deny climate change, I wish that there were a law you could punish them under.36 Accusing the libertarian Koch brothers of treason for disagreeing with his view of climate change, he said they should be at the Hague with all the other war criminals. He asked rhetorically, Do I think the Koch brothers should be tried for reckless endangerment? Absolutely, that is a criminal offense and they ought to be serving time for it. Kennedy’s penchant for arguing for state action against those who do not share his view of climate change is not new. In 2007, he said in a speech at Live Earth that politicians who are corporate toadies for companies like Exxon and Southern Company had committed treason and needed to be treated as traitors.37 In 2009, he deemed certain coal companies criminal enterprises and declared that one company’s CEO should be in jail . . . for all of eternity.38
The illiberal left does not share this commitment. Their burgeoning philosophy in favor of government power to curtail freedom of thought, speech, and conscience is troubling. Environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—a graduate of one of the nation’s most elite law schools, the University of Virginia—said in a September 2014 interview of those who deny climate change, I wish that there were a law you could punish them under.36 Accusing the libertarian Koch brothers of treason for disagreeing with his view of climate change, he said they should be at the Hague with all the other war criminals. He asked rhetorically, Do I think the Koch brothers should be tried for reckless endangerment? Absolutely, that is a criminal offense and they ought to be serving time for it. Kennedy’s penchant for arguing for state action against those who do not share his view of climate change is not new. In 2007, he said in a speech at Live Earth that politicians who are corporate toadies for companies like Exxon and Southern Company had committed treason and needed to be treated as traitors.37 In 2009, he deemed certain coal companies criminal enterprises and declared that one company’s CEO should be in jail . . . for all of eternity.38
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About Kirsten Powers
Prior to CNN, Powers worked at Fox News as a political analyst and contributor, where she appeared regularly across the channel as a liberal journalist. Powers was previously a columnist for the New York Post, and later The Daily Beast, which she left to join USA Today.
Powers began her career as a staff assistant with the Clinton-Gore presidential transition team in 1992, followed by an appointment as Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Public Affairs in the Clinton administration from 1993 to 1998. She subsequently worked in various roles, including press secretary, communications consultant and party consultant.