Nobel Peace Prize

Obama's Nobel Speech: Seeking Peace, While Explaining The Reality Of War

Eric Kleefeld | December 10, 2009, 9:41AM

President Obama accepted his Nobel Peace Prize earlier today in Oslo, Norway, with a speech in which he addressed both the yearning for peace and the importance of pursuing it -- and the responsibility of fighting necessary wars.

Obama acknowledged the criticism that it is too early for him to receive this honor -- and said that the skeptics are right:

In part, this is because I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labors on the world stage. Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize - Schweitzer and King; Marshall and Mandela - my accomplishments are slight. And then there are the men and women around the world who have been jailed and beaten in the pursuit of justice; those who toil in humanitarian organizations to relieve suffering; the unrecognized millions whose quiet acts of courage and compassion inspire even the most hardened of cynics. I cannot argue with those who find these men and women - some known, some obscure to all but those they help - to be far more deserving of this honor than I.

One line in particular -- in which Obama recognized the implications of accepting a peace prize at the same time as he is escalating a war in Afghanistan -- should be regarded as especially important because of what he says about America's other war:

But perhaps the most profound issue surrounding my receipt of this prize is the fact that I am the Commander-in-Chief of the military of a nation in the midst of two wars. One of these wars is winding down. The other is a conflict that America did not seek; one in which we are joined by forty three other countries - including Norway - in an effort to defend ourselves and all nations from further attacks.

By identifying Afghanistan as "a conflict that America did not seek," the obvious implication is that the Iraq War is a war that America did seek -- that America was the aggressor, violating the laws of war that have developed through the centuries.

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Nobel Peace Prize

Obama To Use Afghanistan Decision In Nobel Speech

Christina Bellantoni | December 7, 2009, 11:08AM

President Barack Obama

President Obama on Thursday will talk about his decision to send 30,000 more troops to fight the war in Afghanistan when accepting his Nobel Peace Prize.

A White House aide gave TPMDC a little preview of Obama's speech in Oslo when he accepts the award the Nobel committee surprised the world with when granting it to the new president in October.

"The president will talk about what it means to receive a Nobel Peace Prize in the wake of his Afghanistan decision," the aide said. "He will also focus on ways in which the international community can more effectively prevent needless conflict and promote peace across the globe."

The speech comes in the week following Obama's final decision of sending the surge of troops to Afghanistan, and as global climate negotiations kick off in Copenhagen.

What's still to be determined is what Obama will do with the $1.4 million in prize money. As we have reported, Obama will give it to more than one charity but we don't know much beyond that - yet.

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Asia trip

Obama Tells Chinese Students Decision On Afghanistan Gives Him 'A Heavy Heart'

Christina Bellantoni | November 16, 2009, 8:57AM

President Barack Obama

President Obama's town hall in Shanghai (held around midnight East Coast time) was a highlight of his 8-day Asia trip. He'll be holding a press conference today in Beijing and also will see the Great Wall and Forbidden City.

He makes the diplomatic visit as he's considering whether to send a surge of up to 40,000 troops to Afghanistan, and the 300 Chinese students he spoke to at the town hall were well aware of the upcoming decision. A Fudan University student asked Obama if terrorism is still the greatest security concern for the United States, adding, "How do you assess the military actions in Afghanistan, or whether it will turn into another Iraqi war?"

His answer in full after the jump.

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Nobel Peace Prize

Obama To Donate Nobel Prize Money To Multiple Charities, Process Still Developing

Christina Bellantoni | October 13, 2009, 3:45PM

President Barack Obama

President Obama is still deciding what to do with the $1.4 million in Peace Prize money from the Nobel Committee.

The White House said Friday the money would be donated to charity, but has offered no guidance since.

TPMDC asked White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs during his briefing today about how Obama is making his decision since there are plenty to choose from and whichever one he chooses will be scrutinized.

Our exchange with Gibbs, after the jump.

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Nobel Peace Prize

Van Hollen Condemns Limbaugh, Steele For Agreeing 'With The Taliban And Iran' On Obama's Nobel Prize

Eric Kleefeld | October 9, 2009, 5:41PM

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)

DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) released this statement, making it clear that Democrats will use Republican condemnation of President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize as an issue of the GOP's basic patriotism:

"The outrageous reaction by Rush Limbaugh, RNC Chairman Michael Steele, and others to President Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize is the latest sad example of Republicans putting politics before country by rooting for America to fail. House Republicans should immediately condemn these outrageous statements asserting that they are 'on the same side as the Taliban.'

"Rush Limbaugh and his Republican allies may, as Rush Limbaugh said, 'all agree with the Taliban and Iran,' but millions of Americans see the President's winning of the Nobel Peace Prize as an affirmation of our nation's values and it should be celebrated.

"Democrats and Republicans should join President Obama in seeing this award as a call to action against the common economic and security challenges we all share."

Nobel Peace Prize

Amusing

Christina Bellantoni | October 9, 2009, 5:11PM

CBO Director Peter Orszag

This year, the Nobel Prizes were announced via live stream on the Internet for the first time.

It's kind of funny that everyone - including the White House - was so unprepared for the news.

The committee boasted about the change this week and even crafted a nifty YouTube page that lists all the upcoming events.

So when Peter Orszag wins the Nobel Prize in Economics on Monday, at least we'll all be ready.

Nobel Peace Prize

Are Elected Republicans Plotting Nobel Strategy Or Just Taking A Long Weekend?

Christina Bellantoni | October 9, 2009, 4:41PM

President Barack Obama

Crickets seem to be a theme of the last few days, but there's been a fairly stunning quiet from (most) Republicans today regarding President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize win.

Check out our site - with the exception of Mike Steele, conservative pundits and media types, most of the Republican responses have come via television interviews. (Sen. John McCain's is here, Sen. Jim Inhofe's is here, CA Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a laudatory statement.)

Whenever there's news like this, my inbox is usually full of messages from Republican members of Congress, or GOP fundraising lists. Today, very very few.

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Nobel Peace Prize

Right Wingers Pitch Fits Over Nobel Peace Prize

Eric Kleefeld | October 9, 2009, 12:44PM

Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol

In the immediate wake of President Obama being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, a lot of right-wingers have simply gone nuts over it.

To be very clear, we're not talking about any old criticism or disagreement. Reasonable people can believe this award was not deserved and that Obama has not at this time demonstrated the true accomplishments required. (Unreasonable people can do it, too -- Glenn Beck's got a pretty good joke about it.) We're talking about real over the top invective.

Bill Kristol likens Obama receiving the prize to Mikhail Gorbachev, the former leader of the Soviet Union -- except that Kristol thinks the Communist leader was more impressive:

Mikhail Gorbachev won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990. A year later, he was out of power and the Soviet Union had dissolved.

I don't mean to compare Barack Obama to Gorbachev, who was, whatever his faults, a truly historic and courageous figure. But let's hope the parallel extends this far: that a year from now the Democrats suffer a major electoral repudiation, and that the New Liberalism goes the way of Reform Communism. And that, beginning in 2013, Obama will have lots of free time to spend hobnobbing with Gorbachev on the international celebrity circuit.

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Nobel Peace Prize

Gibbs: Obama Will Accept Award In Oslo

Christina Bellantoni | October 9, 2009, 12:42PM

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

The White House had been dodging this question earlier, but White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters just now that Obama will travel to Oslo in December to pick up the Nobel Peace Prize.

Pressed if Obama will also attend the climate talks in Copenhagen - which the White House hasn't committed to yet - Gibbs wouldn't say. He did acknowledge the talks are close in distance and date to the Nobel ceremony.

Nobel Peace Prize

Surprise! White House Adjusts To Nobel News

Christina Bellantoni | October 9, 2009, 12:21PM

White House sources tell me the shock was real today when President Obama was chosen for the Nobel Peace Prize.

No one was ready, instead focused on some upcoming battles on Afghanistan and health care, and staffers were preparing for Obama's planned speech this afternoon on financial regulatory reform.

Still, the team is playing catch up - they haven't even updated the White House blog yet, though the Barack Obama Twitter feed offered the one-word reaction above.

Robert Gibbs said Obama was "very surprised" and said that when he called the president with the news, "I believe he was asleep."

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Nobel Peace Prize

Obama: 'I Will Accept This Award As A Call To Action'

Christina Bellantoni | October 9, 2009, 11:33AM

President Obama in the Rose Garden just now said the Nobel Peace Prize is "a call to all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st century."

Calling himself "surprised and deeply humbled," Obama said he does not feel he deserves to be in the company of the "transformative" and inspiring people who have earned the prize.

He said the prize often is given "as a means to give momentum to a set of causes."

"I will accept this award as a call to action," Obama said, outlining his goals - a world without nuclear weapons, confronting the threat of climate change and respectful of its peoples' diverse religions and practices.

"These challenges can't be met by any one leader or any one nation," he said.

He called for "unwavering commitment to the rights of all Israelis and Palestinians to live in security in nations of their own."

"This award is not simply about the efforts of my administration," he said, it's shared with everyone who fights for "justice and dignity."

Full text of his statement after the jump.

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Nobel Peace Prize

Bush 43 Not Expected To Issue Statement

Christina Bellantoni | October 9, 2009, 11:08AM

Pres. Obama and Fmr. Pres. George W. Bush

A source tells TPMDC that "needless to say," President George W. Bush isn't going to issue anything about President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize win today.

Nobel Peace Prize

Limbaugh On Obama's Nobel Prize: 'They Love A Weakened, Neutered U.S.'

Eric Kleefeld | October 9, 2009, 10:09AM

Talk show radio host Rush Limbaugh

Rush Limbaugh has already responded strongly to President Obama being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, declaring that this amounted to international praise of Obama's "intentions to emasculate the United States":

"This fully exposes the illusion that is Barack Obama," Limbaugh told POLITICO in an e-mail. "And with this 'award' the elites of the world are urging Obama, THE MAN OF PEACE, to not do the surge in Afghanistan, not take action against Iran and its nuclear program and to basically continue his intentions to emasculate the United States."

Limbaugh continued: "They love a weakened, neutered U.S and this is their way of promoting that concept. I think God has a great sense of humor, too."

Nobel Peace Prize

RNC Response Sets The Tone: What Has Obama Accomplished?

Christina Bellantoni | October 9, 2009, 9:47AM

Mike Steele's statement:

"The real question Americans are asking is, 'What has President Obama actually accomplished?' It is unfortunate that the president's star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights. One thing is certain - President Obama won't be receiving any awards from Americans for job creation, fiscal responsibility, or backing up rhetoric with concrete action."

Nobel Peace Prize

Axelrod: World Can Agree On Obama Goals Of Reducing Threats To Humanity, U.S.

Christina Bellantoni | October 9, 2009, 7:32AM

David Axelrod appeared on Morning Joe this morning to say President Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize is an affirmation of the causes he's championing: nuclear nonproliferation, climate change and building global alliances.

Axelrod told the MSNBC morning show crew that liberals, conservatives and everyone in between "ought to be able to agree on the need to reduce the threats to humanity and the threats to our country and that's what the president's working on."

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Nobel Peace Prize

Gibbs Gets Wake Up Call Honors: Mr. President, You're A Winner

Christina Bellantoni | October 9, 2009, 7:01AM

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs did the early morning duty today to let President Obama he'd won the Nobel Peace Prize.

A senior administration official tells TPMDC Gibbs called the White House just before 6 a.m. and woke Obama to share the news.

"The president was humbled to be selected by the committee," the official says.

There will be more coming out of the White House reacting to the news today.

Worth noting, Gibbs also had pre-dawn wake-up call duties during Obama's first trip abroad, telling Obama that North Korea had fired a test missile.

Nobel Peace Prize

President Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

Christina Bellantoni | October 9, 2009, 6:15AM

President Barack Obama

President Barack Obama, in his tenth month in office, was chosen this morning as the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

The one-liner from the committee - it goes to Obama "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

More:

"For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that 'Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges.'

Late update: Obama will make brief remarks at 10:30 a.m. ET in the White House Rose Garden.

Later update: Here's the full release from Oslo, text after the jump.

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