I found the Reuters article on this great. They listed all of Obama's accomplishments which contributed to the award. Zero. Zip. Nada. All they could reference is a number of speeches where the denounced the United States in various foreign countries. There was one thing that could be called an accomplishment and it was sitting as chair of a committee that agreed the US should disarm and allow all other nations to continue developing their nuclear arsenals.

He now sits alongside other greats like;

Jimmy Carter

Yassar Arafat

Kofi Annan

Mikhail Gorbachav

I think it says more about the way the NPP is given out than anything Obama has done.

Biggest accomplishment so far, prying the 2 psychopaths Goober Bush and Darth Cheney out of office with a legal election.

Roland, it just shows the world recognizes the value of dialogue in having nations work together for common solutions. Its a nice award.

The bottom line though is that the NPP prize, is just a prize. Time will tell how the use of diplomacy benefits the U.S. peoplle.

Good for him. All Americans should be proud of our president winning this great honor.

What a joke. He shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence as someone like Mandela. Even though I disagree with Mandela's politics, he surely did achieve big things through great personal suffering and years of effort. This cheapens the award to the point of irrelevance. Even Carter deserved it more. BTW He was nominated less than 12 days after his inauguration according to an article I read this morning..

What is the point of discussing it if it is now irrelevant?

Wonder what he is going to do with the money that comes with it?

I think Birch Bricker and or Observer should get a NPP, they do a great job here on the AJ keeping us bloger's in line with peaceful comments, words of encouragement and words of wisdom.

He received the prize because???? Maybe Obama hopes to accomplish many Goals... including and finding a way to get out of the middle east. A way to get all nations to find more clean energy..... A way to bring all ppl together no matter what race..religion...or even economic background! Time will tell and we will see if it quacks!

I know the (R)'s don't believe it, but this is because Bush lowered the bar so far. When the president of the U.S. gives the world the finger for 8 years, all it takes to win the Nobel Peace Prize is to just say "Hi".

Wouldn't it be funny if Obama sends in the 40,000 more troops into Afganistan just hours after winning the Nobel Peace Prize?

Guess he won't be sending those troops in now!!!! Maybe the world screwed him on that issue :)

I just got off the phone with a business partner/friend in Norway. He called me to see what the American reaction to the news of Obama is. I said we are pretty much stunned and not sure just what to think. He said the same for the general population in Norway. They to are trying to figure it all out also and they don't really understand how Obama got the NPP.

I saw a flag and red/white/blue ribbons hanging from the Applegate exit this morning. I'm guessing it is related and most Americans (perhaps not in Placer County) are proud of their President today.

chase2you, your " business partner/friend in Norway" does not represent Norway or the world.

Obama received the award for reasons many of you choose to ignore.

GO OBAMA!

2049... I have become less incline to proudly follow anyone now.... Our elected elite need to start doing as they say! We need a turnaround by them.... not us!

2049er The flag and ribbons at Applegate are likely for the local hero who was killed in Afganistan , Josh Hardt, while defending your freedom to put your foot in your mouth. It does not suprise me that you fail to make that connection.

just what I was going to say whatIsay

We are extremely proud of Josh Hardt because he is a true American Hero. He and the others who have fallen did far more for Americans than a President only 10 months into his first term.

Speechless! And without my teleprompter.

CHuxxR:

Thanks for your usual worthless comments with you I just consider the source and disregard it. My friend BTW besides being a business owner is also a high ranking member of the Oslo Government.!

Go Al Gore, thanks for inventing the internet and Global Warming and also NPP member... now how cool is that... Obama is just following tradition, never actually do anything and get the award. You must be so proud Chuckieee.

I must not be watching the right news because although I believe Obama is capable of doing great things, I haven't really noticed anything worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize yet. Please forgive my ignorance...

I think it may have had something to do with no riots in Chicago after the failed Olympic bid:)

But seriously, if Arafat can get the award, why is it of any signifcance?

significance.

You are right Lant.. What the heck is a Nobel prize? :p

That's it stand on the death of a fine young soldier to make your point. Kind of weak. Honor the dead and leave them out of this.

A Nobel Peace Prize is a nobel thing, given in recognition for great accomplishments in humanitarian work, science...not a thing to be mocked in any way

chase2you - - In the immortal words of Rep. Wilson, "You Lie!" My friend in Norway says your friend in Norway doesn't speak for the entire population of Norway. Javisst, enda en norsk kuksuger, akkurat det vi trenger!

Kristin Clemet, director of a Norwegian conservative think tank, says "I was struck by how different the political spectrum is in Norway from your country. Here, Obama would be on the right wing. Half a century ago Norway already had a universal health care system that is simplicity itself. There's a single payer (the government) and minimum red tape, something like Medicare, but for everyone and better. The entire political spectrum supports this. By contrast, Obama says he backs the failed U.S. private insurance scheme and his team is wobbling on his own modest proposal to add a public option."

YS has a point. In HIS first nine months in office, Bush the Lesser had already:

- blocked the release of all presidential records, from Reagan on;

- overturned regulations limiting the amount of arsenic in human drinking water;

- signed a $1.65 trillion tax cut for large corporations and the wealthy;

- Was informed bin Laden would attack and took a month-long vacation;

- signed the Patriot Act into law;

- issued the executive order authorizing the National Security Agency to wiretap phones and read e-mails of U.S. citizens; and

- started two wars, in Iraq and Afghanistan. After Congress approved $79 million for the Iraq war, Bush signed a $350 billion tax cut for large corporations and the wealthy.

Those are the kind of achievements we all can point to.

I totally missed the connection with the flag at that exit. My apologies. Josh Hardt is a hero.

chrishamm, I totally agree with you. Although I feel the prize was a bit premature at least it went to our Country, for that I'm proud.

Bellyflop, you are right, at least that's my opinion. Iraq was a big mistake that cost us the goodwill of the world. Just about every nation was aligned with us after 9-11. When we invaded Iraq we totally blew it and it kept going downhill from there.

Observer, you are the voice of reason.

C_R, Bush and Cheney could not run for another term, Mickey Mouse could have pried them out of office.

Everyone, have a great weekend, rain and wind next week.

chase2you,

Birchbricker and Lady Observer deserve the NPP, at least as much as our president. Nice touch.

Let's see if Obama gives any of the cash that accompanies this prize to ACORN. Probably not now that they've outlived their usefulness to him.

Loomis,

Thank you for pointing out how Mickey Mouse could have pried Bush and Cheyney out of office. You make a funny point at the expense of C_R, but that wasn't very difficult to achieve. A seventh grader in this country knows that two consecutive terms in the Oval Office means you're done.

It would be great if having a "free" health-care system in this country meant it was truly free. Unfortunately, nothing is free. Instead of taunting taxpayers into giving more of their hard earned cash to the govt. so they can dole it out in the form of health care, why not just shame the health care workers into working for "free"?

To me, that prospect makes just about as much sense.

GregC: My comment on Birch and Lady Observer was meant in good taste and was meant as a compliment for both of them.

Skeptic: My friend Frank in Norway and myself never said anything about 'What' the Norwegians were thinking. I only posted that Frank called me and asked me what I thought about Obama and the NPP. He said that he was surprised and so were many of his friends and they were trying to understand the whole situation, just as most of us here in the states were trying to do at the same time.

And Skeptic.... I resent the fact that you called me a LIAR when in fact I am not, Frank and I have been friends for overt ten years and every April he comse to Ca. on a yearly business trip to our Capitol and he stays with my family for the week that he is here. And every other year I go to Norway and spend a week with Frank and his family when I am over there on business.

chase2you - You said, "...not sure just what to think. He said the same for the general population in Norway," didn't you? How did "general population" of Norway become "so many of his friends?" Are you making this up?

chase2you - I did not call you a liar. I said you lied, a different thing entirely, without speculating on your character.

Skeptic, either way call it what you want, Lie or Liar I do not care but I still resent the innuendo so stop with the semantics will ya.

And please read recent article on the Times on line or Time magazine, ' What was the Nobel Committee thinking?' It goes into factual detail about what the general population of Norway is thinking about awarding the NPP to Obama. And the General Population of Norway is not happy about it.

Yosemite, I would like to nominate Henry Kissinger to your list.

What I find interesting is how many people seem to be blaming President Obama for this. Not everyone, but many. I think he was just as surprised as many of us are.

Skeptic: Matter of fact the Norgies are so upset they want to give the NPP back to Sweden, so not I am not making this up.

whatIsay, skimammoth. and anyone else who feel it is necessary to bring up the death of anyone in our military in order to add credibility to your comments. STOP! You are pandering using a soldiers death for your selfish reasons.. It dishonors the dead and should offend anyone who has served in our armed forces.

chase2you, so your friends are in the news magazine business. Is that where "Frank" lives?

Wow. All of this fighting over something called a peace prize. Go figure.

ChuxxR apparently you didn't read the string above. We only brought it up because 2049er mistakenly attributed the flag and ribbons on the Applegate overcrossing to Obama for winning the prize. Someone had to correct him. Neither of us brought it up to bolster any "argument". The inpropriety of awarding the NPP to President Obama is self-evident to rational people.

Chase,

All of my Norsk friends think that it was kinda cool that Obama got the peace prize.

In the words of the state department: "It is better to be thrown accolades than shoes."

I'd prefer 10 1/2 D's, thank you :)

Chase: I could never hold the title of "Nobel Prize Lauriate"... my ego would freak out and eventually, after the glory fades, I'd just pawn it to buy whiskey. Thanks for the thought though. :)

(Between you and me... I'm probably just as qualified as Obama is)

Will Obama return the prize when the Iranians nuke Israel?

Ridding the Middle-East of terrorists (see Israel) is actually worthy of a medal. Maybe Iran will get it.

Oops... I forgot to add a ";)"

I just watched the President's speech on youtube. He brings a helpful perspective as to what the award might be representing for our place of leadership on the world stage.

Jon, Jon Jon...If we(The US) would stop supporting every awful deed that Israel does, the neighboring countries would probably settle down quite a bit. We are just too powerful a country for most of them to attack us. In fact, most of the people do not want to attack us, just our government and military. Many of the people on the street don't understand our government's thinking and franklu, neither do I. Terrorists aren't always who we think they are. Like a streetwalker...you can put an evening gown on her, but you won't fool anybody at the ball...

GO OBAMA, GO OBAMA GO OBAMA GO OBAMA, GO OBAMA GO OBAMA GO OBAMA, GO OBAMA GO OBAMA GO OBAMA, GO OBAMA

GO OBAMA GO OBAMA, GO OBAMA GO OBAMA GO OBAMA, GO OBAMA GO OBAMA GO OBAMA, GO OBAMA GO OBAMA GO OBAMA, GO OBAMA GO OBAMA GO OBAMA, GO OBAMA GO OBAMA GO OBAMA, GO OBAMA GO OBAMA GO OBAMA, GO OBAMA GO OBAMA.

The NPP was awarded for the hope he brings to those suffering from decades of war. Yes former enemies are starting to sit at the table of peace. GO OBAMA!

I just got back from a trip (blissfully ignoring the news) and when the kids told me I thought it was a joke. Is it?

I liked Obama's comments after receiving the award. I appreciated his statements and his perspective about what receiving this award means to him. It's a done deal and I suspect it has a lot to do with what they hope he can achieve, especially regarding nuclear proliferation. He certainly has done more towards Peace than Bush and his big mouth ever did. Let's face it, our global reputation needs something like this! I thought Steele's DNC statement about him receiving the award was rude.

...better accolades than shoes, ha ha, that's funny

As President Obama acknowledged, he has not yet done anything on the scale that would normally merit such an award.

But it isn't the president’s fault that the rest of the world is so relieved at his style of leadership -- in contrast to that of his predecessor -- that they want to do all they can to validate and encourage it.

I thought the president showed style and grace in accepting the prize not for himself, but “as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations.”

Mr. Steele is just annoyed that no Republican leader since Teddy Roosevelt in 1906 has been awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.

Observer -

In his "City of God," St. Augustine tells of a pirate captured by Alexander the Great. Alexander angrily asked him, "How dare you molest the seas?" The pirate replied, "How dare you molest the whole world? Because I do it with one boat, I am called a pirate and a terrorist You, with your great navy, molest the whole world and are called an emperor." St. Augustine thought the pirate's answer was "elegant and excellent."

A "terrorist" is the guy with the smaller bomb.

I've heard that story before, Skeptic. I never tire of it.

Skeptic - Thank you! I have never heard that one before but I will be sure to repeat it if I can remember it :-)

GO OBAMA: mmmm....mmmmm....mmmmm

What planet do you live on, Birch? Here's the latest news comparing the Palestinians and the Jews in Israel.

Palestinian Arab stone throwers attacked a passing Israeli vehicle near the Samarian town of Ramallah on Friday, October 9, wounding two people, one seriously. A 50-year-old woman who was riding in the car suffered a skull fracture when several of the stones smashed through the vehicle's windows. The driver of the car sustained light injuries. The driver managed to continue on until a nearby Jewish community, where military paramedics met him and transferred both victims to an Israeli hospital. A search was launched for the attackers, but army officials believe they are residents of a nearby Palestinian Arab village, which will protect them, making it nearly impossible to identify and find the assailants.

On the other hand, a group of Israeli scientists and peace activists recently gave the gift of light (and electricity) to an impoverished Palestinian village of 300 near the Judean town of Hebron.

Lant, c'mon the rocks were thrown out of desperation and anger over the occupation of their land.

There's more to this story than Palestinians bad, Israelis good.

The village thing is a start. Not all Israelis stand behind their warmongering leaders.

In his will, Alfred Nobel established the peace prize “to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations.”

Fact is, Obama deserves the NPP and accepted it on behalf of the American people who, in 2008, had the good sense repudiate Cheney Bush’s global belligerence, militaristic hubris and domestic neglect.

Giving the Nobel Peace Prize to One Big Awful Mistake America mmm mmm mmm, further proves what a joke the prize has become.

Peace anyone?

Chuxx, "the occupation of their land" is baloney. Much of Israel was purchased by Jewish settlors before Israel even became a nation again. Then, when the Arab world declared war on the reborn nation of Israel, the palestinians fled Israel at the direction of Egypt, Jordan and Syria, who should have absorbed the refugees, since they created the problem.

But, assuming there is some validity to your position, which I don't, but for the sake of argument, would it be fair to say that whenever you drive by an Indian reservation it is okay for them to throw rocks at you?

Do the palestinians stand behind their warmongering leaders?

Loomis - how do you define peace and how do you think it will be attained, if at all?

ChuxxR- do me a favor and shut your mouth. We were clarifying what 2049er said. And seeing how I went to high school with his oldest brother I felt Josh should be mentioned in any case. HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT??? Quite frankly you're an idiot

Chuxx, Obama was just elected. I don’t think he is going to go anywhere soon. I understand your wishful thinking for him to go away, but it won’t happen anytime soon. You’ll have to wait until the next election. I’m with you, however. Go Obama, please go!

Patrick50, if President Obama goes any slower he'll be going backwards. Change he says. 10 months later and I don't see a whole lot of change, nor hope for that matter. I really am starting to feel like the guy in that cartoon....."we'll never make it"..... all doom and gloom. I don't know what anyone else would call what is happening in Washington, DC, but all I see is business as usual. Same stuff, different party.

As far as the NPP is concerned, I think President Obama would have done better to refuse to accept the award. Chinese dissident Hu Jia is so much more worthy a recipient and the Shuhada Organization which runs hospitals, and schools for girls and women in Afghanistan and Pakistan are examples of nominees that actually have DONE something to be awarded.

I think it was a "preemptive" political move on the committee to influence this administration and make it harder to move against Iran. I don't know, maybe they felt bad that the guys in Copenhagen passed over Chicago for the Olympics.

Kind of diminishes the NPP from my perspective.

If he donates the monies from the award to foundations that actually do great works, it would go a long way.