Thorbjorn Jagland, the chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and a former prime minister of Norway, said the president had already contributed enough to world diplomacy and international understanding to earn the award.NYT
"We are not awarding the prize for what may happen in the future, but for what he has done in the previous year,” Mr. Jagland said. “We would hope this will enhance what he is trying to do.” The prize comes as Mr. Obama faces considerable challenges at home. On the domestic front, he is trying to press Congress to pass major legislation overhauling the nation’s health care system. On the foreign policy front, he is wrestling with declining support in his own party for the war in Afghanistan. The White House is engaged in an internal debate over whether to send more troops there, as Mr. Obama’s commanding general has requested.
Mr. Jagland - aptly named! That same rock-solid logic awarded $500,000 to Fenger High School for the honor of Derrion Alberts getting his head whacked in with a plank. You guys are on the same page and we all can expect more of the same.
Congratulations President Obama! That one was Easy! Copenhagen was tough, but Oslo was a Breeze! Eleven days into your Presidency and nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize!
Hat Tip to the scholarly Mark Rhoads:
206 people were nominated for the prize by the deadline of Feb. 1, 2009 when Mr. Obama had been in office just eleven days. But today it was announced in Oslo, Norway that President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples," the Norwegian Nobel Committee said, citing his "outreach to the Muslim world and attempts to curb nuclear proliferation." The great man had done all these miracles in just eleven days?Illinois Review
TR had to calm down Imperial Japan and Czarist Russia. Woodrow Wilson had to go out build a League of Nations - damn near killed . Jimmy Carter . . .what'd he do, exactly? Al Gore melted our Cold, Cold Hearts! Nobel Peace Prize in Eleven Days! Kids, pay attention!
Mmmm; Mmmm; Mmmm!
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2009/10/president-wins-nobel-peace-prize-for-his-first-11-days-in-office.html?cid=6a00d834515c5469e20120a62871ea970c