Obama to win peace prize. Axelrod is shocked

OSLO (AP) - President Barack ObamaBarack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday 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 stunning choice made Obama the third sitting U.S. president to win the Nobel Peace Prize and shocked Nobel observers because Obama took office less than two weeks before the Feb. 1 nomination deadline. Obama's name had been mentioned in speculation before the award but many Nobel watchers believed it was too early to award the president.

Let's give them some credit. Three weeks? I wouldn't be suprised if that was more time then the Adminstration did vetting John Holdren, Cass Sunstein, and Kevin Jennings combined.

Apparently, I'm hardly the only one shocked. David AxelrodDavid Axelrod, Obama's senior policy advisor, responded "as are we" upon recieving a call of the victory (presumably "we" meaning other members of the staff)

Mary Katherine Ham looks at the nominees who were passed over. A casual viewing seems to say Sima SamarSima Samar seems far more deserving. Samar was a women's right advocate and aided the education and health of women in Afganistan actually putting her life on the line. So far Obama's "outreach" seems to be comdemnation of Israel, joining the speech jihad, and his speach at the beginning of Ramadan.

Oh, what am I thinking? Of course Obama is putting his life on the line with being the first president in such a racist country. Thing is though, he's statistically more likely to be killed by another black man.