RIGHT-WINGERS who've been making a big deal about Wanda Sykes' performance at the White House Correspondent's Dinner need to stop.

I'm not buying all the ranting.

There's no way they are as outraged as they've been acting about her remarks at the Saturday-night event. Someone needs to remind people that Sykes is a comedian. And a fairly raunchy one at that.

Every year, organizers for this affair search for a smart and edgy performer to come onstage and stir the pot, as the old saying goes.

And girlfriend did just that. Gave it a whole lot of elbow grease, too.

Last year, it was Stephen Colbert, who had folks all riled up. Remember?

This year, it was Sykes. Doesn't that tell you something? It's a badge of honor to go onstage at this thing and see what you can get away with.

In case you missed it, Sykes was absolutely hilarious, ribbing President Obama on everything from the iPod he gave the Queen of England to the fact that he plays basketball. She even took after first lady Michelle Obama's arms and joked about the president's biracial background.

But Sykes really strayed into dangerous territory when she brought up the subject of 9/11 and Osama bin Laden. I watched Sykes' performance on

C-SPAN Sunday and as soon as the words came out of her mouth, I knew she was going to catch it for even thinking of going there. Her handlers should have stopped her. You just don't toy with that national tragedy.

Sykes had been goofing on Rush Limbaugh's saying that he hopes the president fails when she said, "He's not saying anything differently than what Osama Bin Laden is saying. I think maybe Rush Limbaugh was the 20th hijacker. But he was just so strung out on OxyContin he missed his flight."

Sykes went on to joke that she hoped Limbaugh's kidneys failed. That's what got certain folks incensed and have them rushing to Limbaugh's defense.

What makes them think Limbaugh can't handle himself?

He's a big boy.

The bombastic right-wing radio host has said far, far worse things on his radio show. This is the man who mocked Michael J. Fox's tremors caused by Parkinson's disease.

Limbaugh doesn't need a circle of defenders rushing to avenge him.

Sykes may have raised eyebrows with her routine, but it's all part of what organizers hired her to do. Good comedians are social provocateurs, people who crash up against conventional wisdom. And if there's no element of truth in their one-liners, they fall flat.

If people wanted to see Sykes called out, they probably got some satisfaction after White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs issued a statement Monday saying that 9/11 was "better left for serious reflection than comedy."

The comedy could have been much worse. What if organizers had hired Bill Maher of HBO's "Politically Incorrect?" He'd have really set things off.

In hindsight, Sykes was a safer choice.

Especially since before the show the organizers admonished her not to drop an f-bomb or utter the n-word. I'm sure they didn't tell her she had to refrain from making any sort of political statement. *

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