And she's the Journal's premiere political columnist? Oy.

Here's Peggy's lede from the weekend [Emphasis added]:

What makes it hard at the moment to write sympathetically of Barack Obama is the loud chorus of approbation arising from his supporters in journalism as they mark the hundred days. Drudge calls it the “Best President Ever” campaign.

First, are you chuckling at the thought that the hyper-partisan Noonan, who turned endless Clinton-hating into something of a cottage industry for herself, and who during the 2008 campaign announced that Obama was not normal, really wanted to write sympathetically about Obama? She did, honest.

But she just couldn't because those darn Obama supporters are acting so cultish again. To prove that point, Noonan quoted Drudge. (Talk about a recipe for a journalism disaster.) Noonan quoted Drudge claim that Obama supporters last week announced the new president was the best ever. Get it? It's loony to suggest somebody's who hasn't even been in the Oval Office 100 days is the best ever. It's insane. That's how delusional Obama fans are, Peggy assured us. And that's why Peggy couldn't write anything nice about him, even though she really, really wanted to. (Right after she posts that item about a bridge for sale on Craigslist, right?)

Here's the thing. Peggy's either very lazy or very dishonest. Take your pick. She's lazy if she quoted Drudge without taking three minutes to read the article he linked to for the “Best President Ever” quote. Or she's dishonest because she did read the article and ignored the fact there was nothing in it to even remotely support the spin Drudge put on it. He just made it up.

We undressed this nonsense last week. But apparently, Peggy Noonan, high-profile columnist for the Wall Street Journal, didn't care that Drudge had completely concocted the “Best President Ever” nonsense. Either that, or Peggy did realize Drudge concocted it and knowingly did her best to spread the smear.

Which was it Peggy?

UPDATE: The Weekly Standard's Fred Barnes also signs off on the fictitious “Greatest” meme. (Barnes earns extra GOP credit, no doubt, for working in a Muslim reference as well.)