CHAMPS SNUB PRESIDENT! (OH, NEVER MIND -- IT WAS PRESIDENT BUSH)

This is the lead story at Fox Nation right now, and a big deal in the right blogosphere:

Five NASCAR Drivers Decline President Obama's White House Invitation

President Barack Obama will honor NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson and the 11 other Chase drivers from last year in a White House ceremony on Wednesday -- but nearly half of the 2010 playoff contenders won't be there.

NASCAR said Thursday that five drivers -- Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart -- will not be attending the White House visit due to "schedule conflicts." ...

Um, anyone remember Michael Jordan snubbing President George H.W. Bush in 1991 when the NBA champion Chicago Bulls were invited to the White House? Or Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and five of his players snubbing President George W. Bush when the team was invited to the White House in 2006? Or Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban and defensive end Jason Tayloe snubbing W later that same year?

I understand the conventional wisdom: this kind of thing reflects badly on the president when the president is a Democrat, but it reflects badly on the athlete when the president is a Republican. But even if it is the conventional wisdom, you're still an idiot if you accept that conventional wisdom.

(By the way, two members of our Ryder Cup golf team threatened to snub President Clinton in 1993, but changed their minds. One was Paul Azinger, now an ESPN commentator, who was chastised a few days ago for mocking President Obama in a tweet. Clearly, if the president had been named Bush, that would have reflected badly on Azinger -- but with Obama, it's all a sign of his weakness, right?)