When I first saw the news about Wanda Sykes signing up for the annual White House correspondents' dinner, I got really excited, because she'd probably get in some really scathing jabs at President Bush. Then I remembered that Barack Obama is the President now.

So, mark it down: Today, February 13, 2009, I actually missed George W. Bush.

"The first thing I did when they asked me to do this gig — I made sure my taxes were paid," quipped Sykes, taking a dig at the withdrawal of former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle from Obama's cabinet due to unpaid taxes.

Sykes, who booked the gig this week, said the idea of performing for such a high-profile crowd is "scary but very exciting." The dinner has tripped up comedians before. Rich Little and Stephen Colbert both provoked criticism of their performances before the crowd.

She said it's her job to "poke fun and ridicule," and even a popular figure like Obama isn't off limits. She already has some ideas about what she could mine for laughs. For example, she noted, Obama can be "a little long-winded. So we can get him on that."

After the jump, watch a video of Wanda Sykes talking about George Bush's laugh.