Eight-Figure Couric Demands 'Humility' From Seven-Figure Wall Streeters

October 23rd, 2009 9:37 AM

Dispatch from the Department of Pot-Meet-Kettle . . .

Katie Couric has demanded "humility" from Wall Streeters making seven-figure incomes.  This from a woman pulling down . . . eight figures [an estimated $15 million/year] from CBS while cementing the Evening News' caboose status.

Couric made her hypocritical plea in her "Notebook" segment yesterday, commenting on Pres. Obama's pay czar's plan to cut compensation for employees of financial firms that have received bail-out bucks [emphasis added]:

Critics of the proposed cuts say the big salaries attract the best talent - and that capitalism keeps the government out of private sector pay.

But Wall Street's seven figure svengalis got us into this mess in the first place. And taxpayers kept them afloat. Now isn't the time to pat themselves on the back. A little humility, not hubris, is in order.

We can debate the merits of the Obama admin plan.  And it's true that, as far as I know, neither CBS nor its corporate parents received bailout funds [in contrast with, say, Keith Olbermann's corporate parent GE, whose GE Finance arm got a $139 billion government loan guarantee].

Even so, is it really Couric's place to preach humility to others for what she sees as their inflated salaries?