Here I am at Howard University, waiting to live blog the Democratic presidential forum. We just got word that Obama will not be making himself available in the media room after the event. Well, he’s doing well in the polls, he doesn’t have to.

I’m just going to keep updating this as the night goes on, so check back. The program goes live at 9 p.m. EST.

Meanwhile, Culture Kitchen’s Liza Sabater is running around taking pictures. She has this weird little MP3 recorder that looks like a spaceship.

I’m wondering about Tavis Smiley’s politics. I got this earlier in an email from Media Matters about his comments on the Frank Luntz controversy:

SMILEY: Luntz is not involved tonight, and the person behind that Media Matters website, David Brock. I — I always say where persons like him are concerned — and I don’t mean to cast aspersions on him, but his history is well documented of flipping back and forth between being a liberal and a conservative — I always say, one, consider the source. That’s true of anything. He’s the guy behind Media Matters. So one, consider the source. Number two, his facts are wrong. Number three, PBS put out a statement two days ago, checking him on his facts, which to my knowledge, as yet he has not posted that response on his website. The bottom line is Frank Luntz, like any number of other pollsters, is people-metering 30 African-Americans who are all Democrats in a separate room adjacent to the main stage.

First of all, why the personal attack on Brock? Brock changed his mind about the conservative movement after seeing the hypocrisy from the inside. That’s hardly “flip-flopping.” Second, the facts weren’t wrong. Third, oh yes they did post the response they sent.

Sounds like Tavis has made enough money to sound like a Republican.