Tavis Smiley, Would-Be HNIC

Tavis Smiley, the notorious self-promoter and would be HNIC, is the object of a torrent of criticism primarily from the blogosphere, and deservedly so, for calling out Sen. Barack Obama for not attending Smiley's State of the Black Union conference in New Orleans. Apparently, somebody forgot to tell Mr. Smiley that Obama is in the middle of a tough campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination with upcoming primaries in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Texas; that the Louisiana primary was last week; and that he, Mr. Smiley, is simply not that significant a figure for whom Obama would change his schedule.