Can you imagine the uproar if Lou Dobbs or Bill O'Reilly pulled a stunt like this? Page Six reports this morning that America's Sweetheart and CBS News anchor-to-be Katie Couric bullied her way into the cockpit of the Delta Shuttle out of Washington to delay takeoff so one of her producers could board late:
'...It was like, 'Who the hell does she think she is?' " fumed one passenger who observed Couric's diva-like antics. "If you or I attempted something like this, we'd be cooling our heels at Guantanamo."
The witness told Page Six that attendants on Wednesday's 6:30 p.m. Delta Shuttle flight out of Washington, D.C., had already closed the door and passengers were buckled in, when the soon-to-be CBS News anchor raced up the aisle with a cellphone to her ear and told an attendant she had to speak to the pilot right away. Couric was then allowed into the cockpit and convinced the pilot to delay the flight and reopen the door for her producer, Nicola Hewitt.
"One flight attendant rolled her eyes and told me, 'This is only the second time I've ever seen this happen - the other time was a sick passenger,' " the witness said.
A spokesman for Couric confirmed the perky newsgal intervened, but insisted, "Katie only spoke to the pilot after receiving permission from the flight attendant..."
Very classy. Empress Katie, we await your evening news debut with rapturous anticipation. Because we know otherwise you'd have us shot.
