American Idol's fourth judge knows what it feels like to get the Simon Cowell treatment

She has been called “the second real American Idol judge” and “Idol’s Paula Abdul insurance.”

But Kara DioGuardi -- the singer/songwriter stepping into the pop culture hurricane that is TV’s most-watched show -- swears that her biggest qualification for serving as Idol’s newly hired fourth judge is a simple one.

She has been there.

“I was told I wasn’t a good songwriter, I wasn’t a good singer -– for years,” said DioGuardi, who since has written songs for and produced everyone from Celine Dion and Idol winner Kelly Clarkson to fellow Idol judge Paula Abdul.

“But it was my dream and I kept going and going,” she added. “If you’ve got some talent, nobody can tell you that you can’t develop it into something if you work hard enough.  I don’t want some kids who have something going on to feel crushed and not follow their dreams if they have some ability.”

So, for journalists gathered in a conference call today to take the measure of the newest Idol castmember, DioGuardi presented herself as an amalgam of the three judges she’s joining: a bit of Abdul’s supportive mothering, a touch of Randy Jackson hip-ified coaching and a dash of Simon Cowell’s bitter directness.

Fans will see how she stacks up when the show returns at 8 p.m. Tuesday, airing footage from auditions held across the country. Here are a few quotes from her 45-minute talk with journalists to tide you over.

-- Cowell is first among equals, with the right to break any tie votes if the judges deadlock 2-2. “Is that really a democracy?” cracked DioGuardi, noting that if Jackson and Abdul liked a marginal performer she knew Simon would veto, she held a deciding vote. “I also believe in second chances early on. I know if I didn’t have a second chance, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Sometimes you have to see past the mistakes someone might make early on.”

-- Any problems early on? “In the beginning, it was a little unnerving; I didn’t know where I was going to sit or when I was going to speak . . . I think I would talk over people a lot, because I didn’t know when to speak. I can't tell you how many times I've seen that photo of all four of us, and I feel like I look like Peg Bundy. The hair, not so big anymore. Some of my looks? Ugh, the makeup and hair took me a minute.”

-- Last year’s male domination may continue; DioGuardi says there are “five or 10” men in the competition who are amazing. “There was a lot of soul influence . . . not like I’m talking R&B, but the way Maroon 5 is soulful.”

-- Past Idol she most wants to work with now? Chris Daughtry. “If you’re out there and want to do a co-write, call me.”

-- Did she have to get over any musician's snobbery about Idol before joining the show? “In some ways I felt like I hit the lottery. I never thought what it would mean for me, I just said yes. I’ve been involved in so many of these kids’ careers, and this is what I do every day. I look out for talent. I help them in the studio. Produce the song. That’s my life. It felt like a natural extension.”

-- Got a catchphrase yet? “Be you. Don’t try to be anyone but you.”

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