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Raging ex-anchorman Rob Morrison's temper has gotten him into another ugly mess after he furiously insulted a weekly-newspaper reporter for making a minor mistake in a story about the wife-choking charges Morrison is facing in a Connecticut court.

The former WCBS-2 newsman called up the assistant editor of the tiny Darien Times and lambasted him as a "f--king idiot" for publishing a Web story with an incorrect date for a hearing in the TV journalist's case.

When editor David DesRoches tried to explain that he got the wrong date from a Stamford court clerk, Morrison allegedly went off.

Gabriella Bass

ANCHOR MANAGEMENT: Rob Morrison (above), faces a hearing on charges of assaulting wife Ashley — a court date that led to his screaming at a local editor.

Douglas Healey

ANCHOR MANAGEMENT: Rob Morrison, faces a hearing on charges of assaulting wife Ashley (above) — a court date that led to his screaming at a local editor.

"The clerk is your source? The DA [should be], you f--king idiot! F--k the clerk!" he bellowed, according to the paper. "Your sources suck in the Stamford Court. And the Darien Times — I know this is big time for ya, OK, but your sources suck, brother."

Morrison, 44, told The Post yesterday that he blew his top only after DesRoches responded sarcastically. He said the weekly editor even took a nasty shot at him, sniping, "At least I have a job."

"He was defensive, he was sarcastic, and we got off to a very bad start. I lost my cool," said Morrison, who insisted he had not been drinking during the call.

The trouble began on Monday, when the paper's Web site put up a story saying Morrison was due in court Tuesday to face a hearing on charges of felony strangulation, threatening and disorderly conduct in an alleged February attack on his wife, CBS MoneyWatch anchor Ashley Morrison.

That was the original hearing date but it had been pushed back to May 21.

DesRoches claimed that Morrison was so enraged he even berated the reporter for calling his lawyer for comment.

"You know every time you call my f--king attorney, it costs me a thousand dollars?" he whined to DesRoches.

Morrison, 44 — who denied his lawyer charges him $1,000 per media call — was contrite and self-pitying yesterday. He admitted the F-bomb quotes were accurate.

"I regret it. As someone who is older than this kid, it's my responsibility to maintain my composure," he said, adding that he later tried to smooth things over.

"I did apologize for calling him a f--king idiot. That wasn't good at all," said Morrison.

DesRoches took the high road yesterday. "I accept his apology, as he has a lot going on right now," he said.

Morrison — who resigned from WCBS after the charges surfaced — also lamented time lost with his 7-year-old son, Jack, and said he hoped to reconcile with his wife. He also insisted he was innocent, blaming his mother-in-law.

"It was my freaking crazy mother-in-law, who has hated me for years," he claimed.

rfredericks@nypost.com

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‘It feels like a burial, like a casket’

Police yesterday hauled away the 255-pound hunk of World Trade Center plane wreckage that was recently discovered in a tight alley behind the planned Ground Zero mosque.

Once the wing-flap support was removed, the city Medical Examiner's Office began sifting through the soil beneath it in search of human remains.

None were found yesterday or in previous days, officials said.

"It's a pretty eerie feeling, knowing that we're sitting here 11 years later removing that part,'' said NYPD Deputy Chief William Aubry, commanding officer of the Forensic Investigation division. "I think we all felt emotion. Some of these ESU personnel were here 11 years ago trying to save lives.''

AP

EERIE: Police handle a recently discovered piece of debris yesterday believed to be part of a 9/11 plane.

The twisted part was discovered last week, wedged between an apartment building and the planned mosque at 51 Park Place.

It was a delicate operation.

One dozen Emergency Service Unit officers used a pulley system to gingerly hoist the 5-foot-long chunk of metal — torn from one of the two hijacked Boeing 767s that struck the towers — over a three-story wall.

The 5-foot-by-3-foot rusted part was then lowered onto a dolly and wheeled out through the basement of the planned mosque. "It's a piece of history and we tried to preserve it as best we could,'' Aubry said.

"We tried not to cut it, not to change it in any fashion so that we could get it out the same way we discovered it. And we were able to do that. It's going to the NYPD property clerk at Erie Basin, where it will be stored and [the National Transportation Safety Board] or a museum could possibly [take it]."

A crowd gathered to watch as the part was put on an ESU truck and taken to a Brooklyn police facility for storage.

The mood for both cops and onlookers was somber during the two-hour operation.

"This is surreal,'' said Dominique George, 25, of Fort Greene, a data technician. "That [9/11] seems so long ago and for that to be here all this time, it brings back memories.''

Video technician Mike Picciotto, from Bayonne, has visited the site every day since the plane part was found.

"It feels like closure somewhat. This is like a burial, the way I was waiting for them to bring it out, like it was a casket," said Picciotto, 36, who works downtown.

"I've been here since day one. This is hallowed ground."

The discovery recalls a similar find in October 2006.

That's when Con Ed unearthed human bone fragments when utility workers opened a manhole on the World Trade Center's western edge that had been paved over in 2002.

Right after that find, officials mapped out an expanded plan for search operations at hundreds of locations in the vicinity of the site, including manholes, sewer lines and roofs.

"We developed a plan and protocol to ensure that any areas at and in the vicinity of the site are searched,'' mayoral spokeswoman Samantha Levine said yesterday. "We have been following that protocol, and there are still two locations we won't access for a year or so.''

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‘Hindered’ Johnson would sit if season wasn’t on line tonight

CHICAGO — As the Nets take the floor tonight at United Center for Game 6 of their first-round series against the Bulls — one they hope to push to a seventh game back in Brooklyn on Saturday night — they'll do so with one of their key players severely limited.

If the Nets were in the middle of the regular season, as opposed to one loss away from their season being over, Joe Johnson wouldn't be taking his customary place in the starting lineup tonight alongside Deron Williams in the Nets' backcourt because of a lingering case of plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

AP

Joe Johnson

"Probably not," Johnson said after yesterday's practice. "Probably not.

"When it first came about in February, we tried to rest it as much as possible, but obviously it wasn't enough time. I'm just giving them everything I've got at this point."

Johnson initially suffered a more mild form of the injury, one the Nets described as a sore left heel, in mid-February. He sat out for four games a short time later, only to sit for several more in late March and early April thanks to a combination of the heel and a right quad contusion he suffered after running into Blake Griffin in a game against the Clippers on March 23.

By the end of the regular season, however, Johnson was feeling much better, and was happy with the way his foot had responded heading into the playoffs. That changed, though, after landing awkwardly while making a 3-pointer in the first quarter of the Nets' 90-82 loss to the Bulls in Game 2.

"There's times where I do have to push off a lot. … There's times when I have to push off my foot and make plays and do what I have to do to help this team," Johnson said. "So, as much as it bothers me, I just play through it."

The only way Johnson was able to play in Game 3, a 79-76 Nets loss last Thursday, was to get a cortisone shot in the foot. He finished that game with 15 points before scoring 22 — including 14 in overtime — in the Nets' 142-134 triple-overtime loss in Game 4 on Saturday.

"He's playing hindered, or whatever is the correct word, and it's just he's dealing with it," interim coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "I think that people probably don't appreciate what he's going through every game to go out there and to play."

Johnson has averaged 16.2 points per game through the first five games of the series, but has struggled with his shot since suffering the injury. After starting the series 10-for-18 (55.6 percent) from the field and 3-for-7

(42.9 percent) from 3-point range through the first quarter of Game 2, he has shot 24-for-58

(41.4 percent) from the field overall and 5-for-20 (25 percent) from 3-point range.

"I'm kind of out there on one leg, honestly," said Johnson, who scored 11 points in Game 5.

"I can't push the basketball if I get a rebound, and I can't run pick-and-rolls. I'm basically just a decoy, a spot-up shooter. I can't really do a whole lot.

"Like I told Deron and Brook [Lopez], I'll be the bailout guy. If you get in a sticky situation, just try to find me."

tbontemps@nypost.com

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Wanted posters in Libya attack

WASHINGTON — The FBI yesterday started circulating photos of three men wanted for questioning in the murderous terror attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, as the investigation has produced no arrests after more than seven months.

The three men (pictured) were photographed on the grounds of the consulate during the attack Sept. 11, 2012, which killed US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

Photos of the men, who are not identified, are plastered on "Seeking Information" posters written in both English and Arabic.

"The FBI is now asking Libyans and people around the world for additional information related to the attacks," it says. "These individuals may be able to provide information to help in the investigation."

The posters are being circulated worldwide and are posted on the FBI Web site.

An FBI official refused to explain why the photos were released yesterday, other than to say the decision was made that it was "in the best interest of the investigation."

Meanwhile, a House committee probing the Obama administration's handling of the attack scheduled a hearing for Wednesday, despite claims the administration is trying to block whistleblowers from testifying.

"Next week's hearing will expose new facts and details that the Obama administration has tried to suppress," said Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee conducting the probe.

An independent review board faulted the State Department for not responding to security concerns prior to the attack, and President Obama has been slammed by Republicans for hesitating to acknowledge it was terrorism.

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2 airplanes about to take off clip at Newark Airport

NEWARK, NJ — Two airplanes taxiing while preparing for takeoff at Newark Liberty International Airport on Wednesday night clipped each other, authorities said.

No one was injured when the planes touched around 7:30 p.m. at one of the nation's busiest airports, Federal Aviation Administration officials said. A Scandinavian Airlines plane's left wing clipped the tail of a United Airlines plane while they were on a taxiway.

Scandinavian Airlines Flight 908, bound for Oslo, Norway, was directly behind ExpressJet Flight 4226, destined for Nashville, Tenn., on the taxiway and was turning right to get onto another taxiway when its wing clipped the ExpressJet plane's tail, officials said.

The ExpressJet plane was towed back to the gate, and the Scandinavian Airlines plane taxied back to the gate, where passengers disembarked, New York's WNBC-TV reported.

The accident is being investigated. Scandinavian Airlines, which has hubs in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, didn't immediately respond to telephone messages and emails seeking comment.

ExpressJet Airlines released a statement Wednesday night saying it is "working in coordination with officials to determine a cause." All 31 passengers on the plane were re-accommodated, the airline said.

ExpressJet, which bills itself as the world's largest regional airline, operates as a United Express partner from United's Newark hub. United, which has headquarters in Chicago, is part of United Continental Holdings Inc.

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‘Cats’ $cratch against Lhota

The gloves came off at a GOP mayoral forum yesterday when John Catsimatidis suggested Joe Lhota might hike taxes because he was at the helm of the MTA when it raised bridge and tunnel tolls.

"It comes down to whom people trust not to raise your taxes, not to raise the tolls," the supermarket mogul said after he and Lhota got into an argument about who bore responsibility for higher fares and tolls.

"Cheap shot, John, cheap shot," responded Lhota, who has spoken out repeatedly against tax increases.

The forum, at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, sponsored by the city's five chambers of commerce, was supposed to focus on business development.

Robert Miller

Joe Lhota

It drew a sparse crowd of about 75 in a hall capable of seating 350 and was largely uneventful until the discussion turned to the fare and toll hikes instituted in March.

Lhota said the increases were set in motion in 2009 when the state cut funding to the MTA and laid out a schedule for higher fares every two years going forward.

"It's got to stop," he declared. "There is nothing that suppresses economic development more than . . . what it costs to go from one borough to another."

Lhota said that while he drove down expenses during his tenure at the MTA, he couldn't contain pension costs, which increased by 17.5 percent, or health costs, which went up 10 percent.

"Those two items alone were what was necessary to provide the increase," he explained.

Catsimatidis, who trails Lhota in the polls, was ready to pounce.

"I think, Joe, when you were there — I love you dearly, you know that — you should have put your foot down and said no increases," he argued. "That's what you call leadership."

Lhota came back, saying he staved off layoffs by presenting a balanced budget. "I thought the point of this whole debate is about jobs," he said.

George McDonald, the third Republican contender, took that as his cue to get into the fight.

"It's about the tolls being too damn high," McDonald nearly yelled. "That's what it's about. And who raised the tolls before he left the MTA? My friend Joe. I think he said it was an act of political courage."

Staten Islanders, who comprise a disproportionately large share of GOP voters, have been complaining for years about the cost of crossing the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. The one-way cash toll is now $15.

On other issues, the three Republicans — including George McDonald — plus Independence Party candidate Adolfo Carrión, generally agreed. There was unanimity even when it came to keeping the city's controversial bike lanes.

Of the four contenders on stage, it was Lhota who took the strongest swipes at the Bloomberg administration.

He charged that the administration wasn't prepared for Hurricane Sandy and recalled that when the mayor visited the Rockaways on one occasion, he had to be whisked away "for his own safety."

McDonald, whose Doe Fund has numerous contracts with the city, told Lhota that wasn't accurate.

"I don't know why you have to take a knock at Mayor Bloomberg after Sandy," McDonald said.

david.seifman@nypost.com

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Meet the other Rudy Giuliani

Another Rudy Giuliani could be coming to City Hall.

The former mayor's second cousin, who shares his name, plans to run for the City Council seat held by embattled Queens Republican Dan Halloran, several sources told The Post.

"The mayor sat down with him today, and they talked about the race," a source close to the former mayor said. "He loves him, cares for him deeply, supports him, . . . and will do everything he can to get him elected if he decides to run."

The junior Giuliani, a Republican, is expected to soon announce his bid for the office in the wake of federal bribery charges against Halloran, as well as reports uncovered by The Post that he had affairs with two female council employees.

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Islanders-Penguins matchups

PITTSBURGH — This is the matchup no one wanted, the mighty Penguins, a team so deep their record shows no indications of the large swaths of time their star players missed because of injury.

Nevertheless, this is the welcome back the Islanders franchise gets upon its first trip to the postseason since 2007. After staring adversity in the face in the earlier part of this lockout-shortened year, the young Islanders responded with a flurry of wins, going 11-2-4 over their final 17 games.

However, that included a season-closing run of 0-1-2, not exactly a confidence boost going into nearly every player's first taste of playoff hockey.

Even if they can wipe the slate clean and start that proverbial new season, the Islanders are going to have to accomplish the extraordinary to win their first playoff series since 1993 — which also came over the Penguins.

ISLANDERS PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Goaltending

Evgeni Nabokov: Having a career resurgence at the age of 37, Nabokov looks as good now as he did when he was a Vezina finalist for the Sharks in 2008. He has the most playoff experience of anyone on the team, totaling 80 games with two trips to the Western Conference finals. He finished his 41 regular season games with 23 wins, tied for second in the league, and has been the team's much needed backbone in nets.

Marc-Andre Fleury: At the beginning of this season, pundits were convinced Fleury was still reeling from his stinker of a performance in last year's first-round exit against the Flyers. Yet he battled back, and finished tied with Nabokov with 23 wins while looking more like the man who was terrific in winning the 2009 Stanley Cup for the Pens. Where he is mentally, and if he can be thrown off his game again, is to be determined.

Defense

The Islanders defensive corps is led by the shutdown duo of Travis Hamonic and Andrew MacDonald, but there isn't much behind them. Although there is some offensive firepower back there, it will be tough trying to match the numerous threats the Penguins send over the boards throughout the game.

Even if Brooks Orpik can't suit up on the Penguins back line right away, their crew is deep enough to sustain. Led by Paul Martin and Kris Letang, both recently coming back from injury, the defense mixes both skill and grit for a combination tough to beat.

Forwards

For the first time in a long time, the Islanders finally have gotten some secondary scoring. The line of Josh Bailey-Frans Nielsen-Kyle Okposo has probably been the team's best coming down the stretch, and its ability to back up the top line centered by superstar John Tavares makes it all the tougher for teams to defend. The bottom two lines are mostly checking and grit, but at least some production will be needed from them to achieve offensive balance.

The Penguins have the deepest collection of forwards in the league, regardless if Sidney Crosby (broken jaw) is ready to play or not. At the trade deadline they added Jarome Iginla and Jussi Jokinen for skill, and veteran Brenden Morrow for toughness. Add them to Evgeni Malkin, James Neal and Chris Kunitz, and Crosby might not even be needed.

Special teams

The Islanders' power play has drastically improved with the influx of Lubomir Visnovsky at one of the points, but struggled to finish the season with an 0-for-12 stretch. Their penalty kill has been inconsistent, but with Michael Grabner out there, they always have a threat for a shorthanded goal.

Like most statistical categories, the Penguins are outstanding on the power play, finishing second in the league with a 24.7-percent success rate. Their penalty kill is a weakness — gasp! — ranking 25th, meaning the Islanders will have to take advantage of any power play chances they get.

Coaching

Jack Capuano has settled into his role as coach of this Islanders team, and has instilled in them the understanding of how to win by playing one shift at a time. Yet he can't match the experience, in the NHL as a whole and in the cauldron of the playoffs, of Pittsburgh's Dan Bylsma.

Outlook

It doesn't look too good for the Islanders, but they also started this season not looking like playoff contenders. They might open some skeptics' eyes by picking off a game or two, but to climb over this Penguins juggernaut would be a monumental feat.

Penguins in 6.

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Man dies in bridge jump

A man died early this morning after jumping off the Manhattan Bridge, police said.

Police responded to the call of a person jumping off the bridge at around 11 p.m. last night. About an hour later, NYPD Harbor Patrol pulled the man from the East River near the Brooklyn side.

He was taken to Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn where he was pronounced dead.

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‘Cats’ guy the life of the tardy

A political operative who recently left his job at the city Board of Elections was late to work so often that he was in jeopardy of being fired — before he landed a job with mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis.

Robert Hornak was late to his city job 171 times over the past 14 months, according to a time and attendance sheet obtained by The Post.

Only seven of those late arrivals were excused by his bosses in the Queens office, the document shows.

His tardiness spanned his employment on the board, from Jan. 23, 2012, to April 5, 2013, when he resigned to work for Catsimatidis directing his campaign's Queens field operation.

He earned $60,871 and was facing a disciplinary hearing when he quit, sources said. His final check included six days of unused vacation and sick time, a board official confirmed.

"Robert Hornak is another notorious character in the Queens GOP, and the fact that he was a public employee that never showed up on time and was still able to keep his job at a time when so many other New Yorkers are struggling to find jobs or keep the jobs they already have is disgraceful," said City Councilman Eric Ulrich, a Queens Republican who is at war with Catsimatidis.

Ulrich supports Joe Lhota in the mayoral primary.

Hornak blamed his tardiness on "a medical disability that contributed to my being a few minutes late on a number of occasions. I requested and received a reasonable accommodation to my work schedule, and after that was granted, I did not have another unexcused lateness the rest of my tenure."

But one Board of Elections official who requested anonymity said Hornak was often hours late to work.

"Sometimes two hours, an hour and a half," the official said.

A spokesman for Catsimatidis declined comment.

Hornak is embroiled in a civil war in the Queens Republican Party, whose vice chairman, Vince Tabone, was nabbed in the larger bribery scandal that ensnared state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-Queens) and City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Queens).

Tabone has since resigned his party post.

Tabone also worked for Catsimatidis, who donated tens of thousands of dollars to the party in the past year.

sally.goldenberg@nypost.com

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