Did you folks hear about this on the drudge report?

Funny Girl ain't laughing.

Today the woman who sang Second Hand Rose got burned by second hand prose.

Barbra Streisand now admits she was duped by an internet hoax -- but not before she quoted phony Shakespeare passages extensively on stage, before thousands, at this weekend's National Democratic Gala in Hollywood...

To make her case not to go to war against Iraq, Streisand quoted extensively from William Shakespeare -- but the quotes were from a William Shakespeare hoax that has been circulating on the internet,...

"We have the facts on our side, the truth on our side," Streisand declared...

"I find George Bush and Dick Cheney frightening," Streisand continued. "Donald Rumsfeld and John Ashcroft frightening... I find bringing the country to the brink of war unilaterally five weeks before an election questionable - and very, very frightening..."

Streisand told the crowd: "You know, really good artists have a way of being relevant in their time… but great artists are relevant at anytime. So, in the words of William Shakespeare, 'Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind…And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded with patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader, and gladly so.How do I know? For this is what I have done.And I am Caesar.'"

Streisand explained to the audience: "Imagine that was written over 400 years ago… It's amazing how history without consciousness is destined to repeat itself. So…from the words of William Shakespeare to the words of Irving Berlin…"

Streisand plans to address the mess in a 'truth alert' on her Web site, barbrastreisand.com, later Tuesday.

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Now my 2 cents

She's obviously not familiar with Shakespeare. It doesn't sound anything like his writing style.

For example:

A glooming peace this morning with it brings.
The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head.
Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things.
Some shall be pardoned, and some punished.
For never was a story of more woe,
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo

However, I prefer this prose I just made up:

A moron’s speech this convention brings.
The quotes, from Barb she thought were from Bard.
Go hence, and tell everyone about these things.
Some will be amused and some will disregard.
For never was one more asinine,
than Streisand with her endless whine.

Kenneth Shakespeare