Wall St Journal's "Skinny Obama" story was first done 6 mos ago ... by The Onion!

After the madness set off by my John Edwards-National Enquirer story (No. 1 on BuzzTracker as I write this), this is the perfect MSM-related story to end the week on: A fantastically ill-advised trend piece ran in the Wall Street Journal today with the headline, "Is Obama Too Physically Fit to Be President?" Wait, it gets better. If you're a regular viewer of the Onion News Network, you know where I'm going with this.

The story asks this vital question of the day: "In a nation in which 66% of the voting-age population is overweight and 32% is obese, could Sen. Obama's skinniness be a liability? Despite his visits to waffle houses, ice-cream parlors and greasy-spoon diners around the country, his slim physique just might have some Americans wondering whether he is truly like them."

Forget the fact that President Bush — a workout freak also well within normal body weight — is mentioned nowhere in the story. Forget that in a poll accompanying the story on the WSJ's web site, readers rejected by an amusingly large margin the story's premise and Fox News-y tone ("some people say"). Here's the very best part. The story was deconstructed six months ago on the Onion News Network when it appeared as a parody! Take a look.

As Obese Population Rises, More Candidates Courting The Fat Vote

Talk about an advanced case of trolling!

It wasn't until I sat down at my TiVo that I made the connection. My TiVo has a wireless network adapter and I subscribe to a number of downloadable shows, including the ONN. (Find Programs > Download > Browse Videos > Comedy > The Onion) TiVo won't let me queue more than five ONN videos at a time, though, and I refuse to delete "Bush Pledges to Make Iraq War More Eco-Friendly" off it. Man, I could watch that one every day.

Here's a snapshot of that poll: