Anderson Cooper Accused Of Stealing Snooki Bit By Local Anchor Derek James (VIDEO)

So, as we all know, Anderson Cooper loves him some Snooki. Well, not exactly loves as much as "loves to viciously mock and hold up as an example of the decline and fall of Western civilization."

Previously, Cooper has taken some potshots at the pint-sized "Jersey Shore" star and her book, "A Shore Thing." On Tuesday, he went a step further, with a dramatic reading from the book itself. The bit went viral, Snooki tweeted about it--all good, right?

Not so fast! A local news anchor in Charlotte named Derek James saw the bit and was enraged. Apparently, he did two whole weeks of dramatic readings of "A Shore Thing" a few months back. On Wednesday morning, he took aim at Cooper, accusing him of turning into the "next Carlos Mencia--a joke stealer." Then he did a Keith Olbermann-as-Richard-Nixon impression. It was all a little weird!

Now, this may have all been cooked up for attention's sake, but it's just possible that Cooper's squad saw the series, put it in their back pocket, waited months and then unleashed it to the world. (Just.) Below, watch James' bit and Cooper's bit, and tell us if you think the CNN star is nothing but a thief.