“In an interview credited to a freelance contributor on Monday, this column quoted Miss USA Rachel Smith “dissing” Katie Couric during a red carpet interview. The Miss Universe organization later complained that her comment was taken out of context. After reviewing the taped interview I agree that Miss Smith used the word “credibility” in a context that could have been misinterpreted by the journalist. A pageant rep tells us: “Rachel is a huge fan of Katie Couric and would love nothing more than to have a career such as hers.”"

In case you couldn’t make any sense of that gobbledegook, here is Miss Smith’s version of what she told the Daily News reporter, essentially confirmed by the News:

“I was stopped by many journalists, one which included a young woman from the New York Daily News. Her questions covered a wide spectrum of material, but I was eagerly willing to supply her with material for her piece. One of her questions was something along the lines of, “What would you like to do after Miss USA?” My answer to her was something like this, “I have aspirations of pursuing journalism after my reign as Miss USA. I would like to do a little more entertainment-oriented, lighter news, unlike the news Katie Couric does, because I would like to still have the opportunity to do modeling jobs and endorsement opportunities. My credibility would be at risk if I tried to do those things while delivering hard news.”

In no way, shape or form was my comment a “diss” to Katie Couric. To the contrary, I am actually a HUGE fan of Ms. Couric’s, and I would love nothing more than to replicate a successful journalism career like hers.”

Anyway, she has already taken her credibility down a notch by going from magna ***** laude grad to vapid beauty queen. So, I already don’t take her seriously.

Howard; she tossed out Rachel Smith’s name to cover her tracks. Rachel is not a party girl, and certainly not with a married man.

I don’t think her comments were intended as a slight, but were just some ill-chosen words. Then Miss Couric overreacted and turned a proverbial molehill into a mountain. So when you think about it what did she say that’s so outrageous?

The network of Edward R. Murrow and Charles Collingwood, the network that took on Joe McCarthy at his peak, caved to right-wing pressure and fired Dan Rather for daring to blow the whistle on our chickenhawk President’s war record and replaced him with with a lightweight cheesecake anchorwoman that can’t win the public’s respect. Couric has become a joke that’s dragged the CBS Evening News’ ratings to record lows. Rather has talked about the Evening News being “dumbed down and tarted up.” Rachel Smith is just starting her career, and she doesn’t want it to end that way; who would?

For the record, before she was Miss USA, she earned a journalism degree magna ***** laude from a prestigious college and served an internship in the news department of a local TV station, so she’s entitled to her opinion on the subject. She’s already achieved far more than most young women her age (22), so based on her record there’s a good chance when she’s Couric’s age she’ll be taken more seriously than Couric is now.

1. What are your future career plans?

2. What did you do to celebrate winning Miss USA?

You know ya’ll be dancing in the mirror for much less.