Kirsten Anne Powers (born December 14, 1967) is an American author, liberal columnist, and political analyst. She currently writes for USA Today, and is an on-air political analyst at CNN, where she appears regularly on Anderson Cooper 360°, CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, and The Lead with Jake Tapper. The Washington Post called her "bright-eyed, sharp-tongued, [and] gamely combative". The New Republic noted Powers "held her own in any debate" at Fox News and quoted columnist Erik Wemple, who called her "a ferocious advocate for her points of view". Prior to CNN, Powers worked at Fox News as a political analyst and contributor, where she appeared regularly across the channel including Special Report with Bret Baier, Fox News Sunday, The Kelly File and The O'Reilly Factor. The Columbia Journalism Review described her as "an outspoken liberal journalist". Mediaite deemed her "Fox's liberal to be reckoned with." Powers previously was a columnist for the New York Post, and later The Daily Beast, which she left to join USA Today. Powers' first column appeared at The American Prospect, and her numerous articles have appeared in USA Today, Elle, the New York Observer, Salon, and the Wall Street Journal. 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. Early life and education Powers and her family moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, when she was 3 years old. Her parents were archaeologists, with Irish-American heritage. She credits her interest in politics and debate with being "expected to state and defend my positions on the issues of the day every night at dinner". She graduated from Monroe Catholic High School in Fairbanks, Alaska in 1986 and the University of Maryland and attended Georgetown University Law Center for a year and a half. Career Powers served in the Clinton administration as the deputy assistant U.S. trade representative for public affairs. She left to become the vice president for international communications at America Online. After AOL's merger with Time Warner, she became a vice president at the AOL-Time Warner Foundation. Powers has worked in New York State Democratic politics for many years. She was a consultant of the New York State Democratic Committee, the press secretary