(CNN) - President Obama got a shocking wake up call…it wasn't at 3 a.m., but shortly before 6. A senior administration official says White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs told the president that he had won the Nobel Peace Prize, and that Mr. Obama was "humbled to be selected by the committee."
The stunning announcement by the committee caught the White House off guard. One senior administration official said, "we were quite surprised."
As pundits debate the merits of the award, two themes are emerging. That the prize could give President Obama some clout as he pushes for health care reform, forms a strategy for going forward in Afghanistan, and works to engage Iran and North Korea. In fact, another senior administration official told CNN he hopes the White House can "use it for the positive."
On the other hand, getting such a lofty nod just nine months into his presidency will provide fuel for his Republican opponents. A top Republican in the Bush administration says "this will backfire on them for a while," then added that it was "a gift to the right."
President Obama was initially scheduled to make public remarks this afternoon on regulatory reform in the financial sector. But the White House has now added a Rose Garden event at 10:30 a.m., where he will make a statement on receiving the Nobel Prize.
From CNN Politics
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...and will receive an A+ when he's finished the job.
"It is better to be thought a fool than speak out and remove all doubts"
GOP, CNN, you have proven, with ridiculous statements and headlining all the negativity, what biased, irresponsible fools you
are.
CONGRATULATIONS PRESIDENT OBAMA!! You were the right choice!!
"A gift to the right", that the President of the United States has in nine months made enough of an impact on the world community for the Nobel Committee to honor the President and our Nation by selecting him to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. With President Obama's award, four US Presidents have received the Nobel Peace Prize. Only two others have received it while in office, Woodrow Wilson and Teddy Roosevelt. I can think of no greater vote in confidence to a seated President by the world community.
Expect Republican National Committee to issue talking points immediately to political pundits and operatives. The criticisms cannot hide the fact that Obama will be known for receiving a Nobel Peace Prize, whereas the Bush/Cheney administration will forever be tainted for an unnecessary war and torture.
Congratulations to President Obama for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Now let's see if any of the right wingers are going to congratulate him or say something negative as they usually do. For the past eight months I have not heard one positive word from the Republicans regarding President Obama.
I guess if it was President Bush they would be happy, but sorry guys and girls, he and twisted face Cheaney would get the Nobel War Prize. After all, he should have finished the war in Afganistan and not gone to Iraq. He messed up this country and now President Obama has to try and correct in eight months what it took Bush eight years to destroy.
LET'S ALL UNITE AND CONGRATULATE OUR PRESIDENT ON WINNING THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE.
Nobel prize for peace must be abolished as it proves to be meaningless.
I think that if the right tries to use the fact that Obama won the Peace Prize, it will back fire on them! How stupid to hope for failure and denounce any award, to any American, for anything!!! They cheered when we lost the Olympics and they now will try to insinuate that an American president should not have won or is not qualified to win the Nobel Peace Prize!!
Yes, please keep listening to your strategist . I can tell you that it will back fire and that the strategist do not have their finger on the pulse of America!
Obama says he is humbled, but that man believes he is worthy of all adultation and praise of this world. You will see in the future that he will deman it all. The Man of Peace will be revealed as the Son of Perdition - coming soon to your local neighborhoods.
Pres. Obama is loved throughout the world, and it bothers people, Republicans and Democrats alike. What do you mean A for effort? All over the world, people are discussing how some Americans are praying for the failure of a man who has never harmed anyone, but walked in love only. I think he has earned it for walking in love and peace with people who want him to fail. Mr. President, keep your hand in God's hand, and you will continue to win.
I hope the Democrats loose in 2010 for not being supportive of their president.
Good grief, how will Nobel Prize Obama ever decide to float back to the ground after this embarrassing decision. Now that his childhood dream has been answered his head will be growing even bigger.
They awarded him this for his EFFORTS to weaken our country. That is precisely the reason they love the US over there. Also it's Bush's fault.
While I believe Obama has so far been a great guy who unfortunately has to go up againt the idiots of the GOP, and thier daily war against Americans....I think and hope the President should gracefully decline from accepting the award. His sentiments are in the right place but They have yet to come to fruition enough to merit anything, especially compared to the other contenders.
Also, to be nominated for the award, he'd have to have had his name submitted in Feb. Just 12 days into his presidency.
The only real change Obama has created came in ending and reversing detrimental Bush Policies, reversing the direction of our economic slump and stopping the credit card companies from ruining consumers' lives.... And that doesn't go into effect until Jan 2010.
The fact that President Obama wasn't expecting this says volumes.
His efforts have always been and will continue to be focused on cleaning up the mess left him by the Cheney/Bush Administration and on getting our country back to work and on the path to a better future.
Besides, I thought the GOP was all about ignoring international opinion – and last time I checked, the Nobel Foundation is in Sweden.
It is pathetic to think that the awarding of the Nobel Peace prize would be debated as to whether it was a good or bad award. It was an honor bestowed on the President of the United States. Every American should be proud of this and the media should stop trying to use it for partisan fodder.
Congratulations to Barack Obama and the United States of America.
Congratulations Mr. President.!!!
No one can accuse you of 'buying' this prestigious award. No hanky-panky is tolerated at Oslo. This award is YOURS!!! They saw you fit to receive it, do not let the haters and the jealous mar this incredibly happy occassion for you!! The majority of the country rejoices with you.
As much as I like the President, and am happy for his honor in getting the award, I wish that it had happened later in his term. Obviously, it does fuel his critics, lays a huge burden on his shoulders, and certainly makes his job a bit harder, especially in his decision on Afghanistan. In a way, I think that the Nobel Peace Prize Committee may have used him to make a political statement against Bush, which may do more harm than good. He's going to take a lot of heat for this, and he didn't ask for it. Still, I am happy for him and have faith that he will live up to this honor because I believe he is a good man.
He won because, in the words of the committee that unanimously gave him the award, "His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population," That certainly is better than with an iron fist. And once again, just like in the general election, those who scoff President Obama are a MINORITY. Small minded individuals, make way for the will of the World.
Congratulations!!! We all should get behind this and push for peaceful ends to the conflicts we are currently in. This means that the world is watching and they are seeing us in a much better light than they did before Pres. Obama came to office.
This is the best thing that could have happened for America and this could really give this peace seeking man clout when he attempts to put out those fires or potential fires. Congratulations President Obama!
I think it is wonderful that he received this award, and that the committee recognizes his ability to represent this great country in a diplomatic, tactful, and respectful manner. As someone who travels internationally, I can say that the majority of the rest of the world had an extremely low opinion of America when warmongering Bush was in office. The naysayers are going to be opposed to anything President Obama does, simply because they disliked him before he got elected, soon thereafter the election, and always will in the future. Spiteful people like that can never understand why he won this award without having a 10 yr track record under his belt.
This is gonna raise a lot of eye brows and make them wrinkle at the same time. Some shoulders may be shrugged. A large number is still gasping and has forgotten to close their mouths, thus, enablin' the house flies to pay their visits to their oral cavities.
The President has actually achieved a lot with his strengthening of the non-proliferation treaty, and with his chairmanship of the recent UN Security Council Disarmament Summit.
Hopefully history will prove the Nobel Peace Prize Committy Right!
How can people say it's too soon. No other sitting US president has ever won the Nobel Peace Prize. So it's not about how long he has been president. It's about what he has done as a citizen of the world to promote peace in the world.
Congratulations President Obama! This is well-deserved! The work that you have done and continue to do to promote peace in the world is great!