Comedian Wanda Sykes shown in June, will be the entertainer at the White House correspondents dinner. (Peter Kramer/Associated Press)

Wanda Sykes, a standup comedian and actor known for her tart commentary on current events, has been chosen as the entertainer at the annual White House correspondents dinner in May.

Sykes, an African-American, is expected to get the chance to make fun of President Barack Obama.

It is a tradition that the president attends the black-tie gala, which attracts about 2,000 people, including the White House press corps and Hollywood celebrities.

Sykes says she already is planning ways to poke fun at the president, including about his reputation for being "a little long-winded."

Sykes also will draw fodder from missteps by the Obama administration between now and the correspondents dinner May 9.

"I'm not rooting against him at all, because, especially in this economy and everything, we need him to succeed," she said. "But there's gonna be some incidents and missteps, like we saw with the whole tax thing."

She was referring to the withdrawal of former U.S. senator Tom Daschle from Obama's cabinet due to unpaid taxes and quipped that, "The first thing I did when they asked me to do this gig — I made sure my taxes were paid."

Sykes, 44, is best known for her role as Barb on The New Adventures of Old Christine and for playing Wanda on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

She first appeared on TV on The Chris Rock Show, where she was also on the writing team.

With files from the Associated Press