Drama at the 140 Characters Conference – the Twitter get-together taking place RIGHT NOW in Midtown Manhattan.

On stage even as we type are CNN presenter Rick Sanchez and NBC’s Ann Curry — who are speaking about the relevance of Twitter and TV news-gathering.

Responding to wide-spread criticism that CNN dropped the ball on this weekend’s Iran election coverage, Sanchez became all long-winded and defensive — ultimately complaining about the presence of “happy face pretty anchors” on rival networks.

Fed up with Sanchez’s diatribe, the Conference crowd began chanting for Curry (speaking above, minutes ago), who began her counter-offensive by declaring to the crowd (and clearly Sanchez), “I’m no happy face pretty anchor.”

The gal’s got balls — and a conscience too.

Whenever going into a hot-spot like Iran, Curry said at the Conference, “I tell my team to shoot the story like it is about their mother, their father, their brother!’

Nice — and she’s Transracial too!

Also overheard at the two-day confab, which ends tomorrow: “Didn’t we meet at South by Southwest,” said one Williamsburg type to another.

AND: “Thank God there is someone else here wearing make-up,” a relieved conference-going chic exclaimed to a fellow female — at the guy-heavy event.