Steve Jobs said to be considering attending iPad 2 event

Word on the street is that our own Uncle Steve, currently on medical leave from his post as CEO of Apple, may be planning another public appearance, specifically at the (iPad 2) press event tomorrow. You may remember Medical Leave Steve from such appearances as dinner with the President, and walking on Apple's campus.

What's interesting to me is the possibility raised by Kara Swisher. She has an interesting piece over on AllThingsD about her concerns that Steve showing up will be the real headline from the event, regardless of what we hear about the next generation of iPad. It makes sense he'd want to be there, even just behind the scenes. We've heard tell of meetings in his home about the next generation iThings, so of course, he'd want to show up to see their grand debut. On the other hand, given the health-related scrutiny he's already under, maybe he'll stay away so there's no chance of his appearance on stage being the headline grabber as people wildly speculate about how he's doing.

If he appears on stage, that'll be nice, and I'll be glad to see him since, apparently, my invitation to dinner with Uncle Steve and the President got lost in the mail. If he doesn't walk out in his black mock turtleneck and jeans, I like to think he'll be backstage so that at least he can peek out and watch the event without being a distraction.

Not that it matters much either way; we'll all be glued to the live coverage to learn about the new hotness from Cupertino.