'Koch brothers' rebrand underway, still a conservative force The conservative Koch brothers are no more — even if they remain a political powerhouse. The Democrats' super villains for much of the last decade have quietly launched a rebranding effort that may vanquish the "Koch brothers" moniker from American politics. The catalyst came earlier in the year when ailing billionaire conservative David Koch stepped away from the family business, leaving older brother Charles as the undisputed leader of the Kochs' web of expanding political and policy organizations. There were already few, if any, clearly identifiable links between the Kochs and their most active spinoff organizations such as Americans for Prosperity, Freedom Partners or the LIBRE Initiative. But in the days after the younger billionaire's retreat, company officials quickly began pushing journalists across the country to change references from "Koch brothers" in their coverage to