Kirsten Powers, a rather conservative Democrat, will join three of her former Fox News colleagues at CNN, starting today.
From Brian Stelter:
Powers is the fourth Fox personality hired by CNN in the past 18 months, joining co-host Alisyn Camerota, liberal commentator Bob Beckel and conservative commentator Mary Katharine Ham.
The timing of her move is newsworthy because it comes one month after the founding CEO of Fox News, Roger Ailes, resigned under pressure amid a sexual harassment scandal.
Stelter aptly described Powers' as "unpredictable" in her punditry. For reasons that remain unfathomable to me, she sometimes helped further Fox's Republican memes, even though she's a registered Democrat.
However, in at least one way, she has earned my undying respect: her willingness to forcefully challenge Fox memes when she feels so moved. She has gone nose-to-nose with Bill O'Reilly over racism, hijacked a discussion to call out the misogyny of a fellow Hannity show guest who was also the host's pal. Most famously, she confronted Megyn Kelly over her bogus racial attacks on then-Attorney General Eric Holder. Perhaps more importantly, Kelly suddenly dropped the faux "controversy" she had spent more than 3.5 hours, over 45 segments, promoting after she was so publicly challenged.
There are plenty of professional Democrats, not on Fox's payroll, who never had such moxie. it's long past overdue for them to step up to the plate and take a lesson.
Watch Powers' epic clash with Kelly, below, from July, 2010.
Right-wingers were out in force raging either how glad they are Kirsten is leaving because they couldn’t stand her liberalism and take [enter the name some other lib lite Foxy like Juan Williams here] with her or lamenting she’s one of the few libs in America they can tolerate without their heads exploding. Yep, more proof of that [in]famous Fox “fairness and balance.” You can tell it by the audience Fox News attracts.
Powers was an evangelical but she recently converted to Catholicism, I believe. I’m not so sure she’s a fervent anti-choicer. She’s pro-life and against abortion but I don’t think I have heard her advocate for making it illegal or undoing Roe v. Wade.
In her lawsuit, she mentions Billy making inappropriate comments about her-not surprising, given his history.
Coming down the pipeline:
1. More exits from Fox “News.”
2. Bye Billy
3. Hannocchio in trouble
4. Murdoch boys bring new faces to Fox “News.”
NOTE TO MURDOCH BOYS
We remind you of 21st Century Fox’s policy of no tolerance of sexual harassment against employees/associates of the Company. Since Bill Shine is still present at Fox “News” Channel, we will encourage all of the network’s female employees to sue the Company.
NOTE TO ANDREA TANTOROS ATTORNEYS
Please pursue class action lawsuit against 21st Century Fox, Fox News Channel, Roger Ailes and Bill Shine.
Maybe MJ’s correct, it’s more of CNN appeasing the right. Good luck with that. Conservative ‘information voters’ want nothing but pure propaganda like Fox serves up.
It’ll be interesting to me if she loosens up on CNN and acts more like the Democrat we’d expect. Hate CNN or love CNN but I don’t see a deep political agenda over there pressuring pundits to tow any particular line.
Kirsten and fellow fake lib Mara Laisson often look nervous to me handling volleys from conservative Fox hosts.
