memeorandum: Obama's Nobel remarks: four very skillful paragraphs (James Fallows)

8:20 PM ET, October 9, 2009

Top Items:

Obama Says He's ‘Surprised’ and ‘Humbled’ by Nobel Prize — WASHINGTON — President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,” a surprising honor that came less than nine months …

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

DNC official: GOP siding with terrorists — A top Democratic National Committee official reacted furiously to a statement from Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele mocking — and describing as “unfortunate” — President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize. — “The Republican Party has thrown …

Discussion: Media Matters Action Network, Hot Air, Top of the Ticket, Agence France Presse, The Plum Line, The Huffington Post, Firedoglake, The Swamp, ATTACKERMAN, thedanashow.wordpress.com, Another Black Conservative, Don Surber, The Other McCain, American Power, TPMDC, theblogprof and Salon

Nobelprize.org:

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 — The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance …

Discussion: Guardian, CNN, CBS News, Washington Monthly, The Huffington Post, The Corner on National …, Firedoglake, Wonk Room, Maggie's Farm, Financial Times, OpenSecrets.org, Laura Rozen's Blog, About.com Conservative …, Gaea Times …, Emptywheel, DailyFinance and Christian Science Monitor

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:

Obama's Nobel Peace Prize — (updated below - Update II) — When I saw this morning's top New York Times headline — “Barack Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize” — I had the same immediate reaction which I'm certain many others had: this was some kind of bizarre Onion gag that got accidentally transposed onto …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Open Left, At-Largely, The Washington Independent, Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog! and The Confluence

Michael Binyon / Times of London:

Comment: absurd decision on Obama makes a mockery of the Nobel peace prize — The award of this year's Nobel peace prize to President Obama will be met with widespread incredulity, consternation in many capitals and probably deep embarrassment by the President himself.

Discussion: Nicholas D. Kristof, The Huffington Post, The Corner on National …, The New Ledger, The Moderate Voice, Agence France Presse, NO QUARTER, Stop The ACLU, RedState, Associated Press and JOSHUAPUNDIT

James Fallows:

Obama's Nobel remarks: four very skillful paragraphs — Six months ago I mentioned that it would be hard to improve on Barack Obama's impromptu press conference answer as to whether he believed in such a thing as “American exceptionalism.” I think the same is true of his remarks this morning about the Nobel Peace Prize.

Discussion: Bad Attitudes and Liberal Values

Mickey Kaus / Kausfiles:

What Obama Should Do With His Nobel Peace Prize — Turn it down! Say he hasn't had the time yet to accomplish what he wants to accomplish. Result: He gets at least the same amount of glory—and helps solve his narcissism problem and his Fred Armisen ('What's he done?') problem …

Discussion: The Corner on National …, GOPUSA, Minnesota Public Radio, Slate, The New Republic, Reuters, justoneminute.typepad.com, Instapundit, Time, The Plum Line, Clusterstock, Think Progress, Newsweek Blogs, The Caucus, Chicago Boyz, The Huffington Post, Gawker and The Washington Independent

Erick Erickson / Erick's blog:

Barack Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize: He's Becoming Jimmy Carter Faster Than Jimmy Carter Did. — I did not realize the Nobel Peace Prize had an affirmative action quota for it, but that is the only thing I can think of for this news. There is no way Barack Obama earned it in the nominations period.

Discussion: Weekly Standard, The Huffington Post, The Corner on National …, George's Bottom Line, Swampland, Salon, Power Line, The Moderate Voice, Top of the Ticket, The Huffington Post, Michelle Malkin, Wonkette, Indecision Forever and Megan McArdle

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:

Limbaugh: ‘Greater embarrassment’ than losing Olympics — Conservatives pounced on the the Nobel Prize committee's decision to award President Barack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize, with talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh calling it a “greater embarrassment” than losing the Olympics.

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Andy Worthington, Gawker, Ben Smith's Blog and The Huffington Post

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:

DNC: Steele And GOP Have Thrown In Their Lot With The Terrorists By Criticizing Obama's Nobel — Dems intend to go on the offensive today by holding up Republican criticism of Obama's Nobel as the latest example of Republicans desperately hoping for America's failure, placing it alongside GOP cheer …

Discussion: Media Blog on National …, Right Wing Nut House and Open Left

Washington Wire:

Steele's Nobel Comments Spark Backlash on the Backlash — Susan Davis reports on the Nobel Peace Prize. — The only thing fiercer than Republican National Committee chairman's reaction to President Barack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize is the backlash it's prompting—even within the GOP …

Richard Cohen / PostPartisan:

Palin, Vaughn, Rabinowitz Win Awards — In a stunning announcement, Millard Fillmore Senior High School chose Shawn Rabinowitz, an incoming junior, as next year's valedictorian. The award was made, the valedictorian committee announced from Norway of all places, on the basis of …

Discussion: Commentary, Coyote Blog and Washington Wire

Washington Post:

President Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize — President Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Friday for his work to improve international diplomacy and rid the world of nuclear weapons — a stunning decision to celebrate a figure virtually unknown in the world before he launched his presidential campaign nearly three years ago.

Discussion: Media Matters for America, The Page, The Huffington Post, Washington Wire, The Atlantic Politics Channel, The Huffington Post, The Fix, Newsweek Blogs, PostPartisan, The Moderate Voice, CNN, FiveThirtyEight, The Greenroom, Wonk Room and Hotline On Call

Ruth Marcus / PostPartisan:
A Nobel for a Good Two Weeks? — “Mom!” my 12-year-old yelled from the kitchen.

Discussion: Hot Air, Freakonomics and Pajamas Media

CNN:
State Dept. on Nobel: ‘Better to be thrown accolades than shoes’

Discussion: The Politico, Hot Air and Talking Points Memo

Reuters:
Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

Discussion: Newsweek Blogs, Telegraph, The Hill, The Corner on National …, Pajamas Media, Gateway Pundit, Power Line, Right Wing Nut House, Flopping Aces, NewsBusters.org, Mediaite, Hit & Run and thedanashow.wordpress.com

Sharon Otterman / The Lede:
World Reaction to a Nobel Surprise

Discussion: BBC, The Daily Dish, Althouse, The Reaction, Newsweek Blogs and The Huffington Post

Marc Ambinder / The Atlantic Politics Channel:
But Should He Turn It Down? — At Slate, John Dickerson writes …

Discussion: Robert Reich's Blog, Balloon Juice, Washington Wire and Newsweek Blogs

Totus / Barack Obama's Teleprompter's Blog: That's Nobel-Prize Winning Teleprompter to You ...

Mike Huckabee / Huck PAC:
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

Discussion: The New Republic

Chris Casteel / Daily Oklahoman:
Sen. Jim Inhofe: Obama received Nobel Peace Prize for “de-emphasizing defense”

Discussion: The Hill, The Plum Line and The Hill

Dan / Riehl World View:
BBC Call: NO FREAKIN' WAY!: Obama Wins 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns and Money, The Huffington Post, CBS News and Sister Toldjah

Michael Tomasky / Guardian:
Should Obama accept the Nobel peace prize?

Discussion: Real Clear Politics

Peter Beinart / Blogs and Stories:
Obama's Nobel Farce

Discussion: Time

BBC:
Obama wins 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

Discussion: Clusterstock and TigerHawk

David A. Graham / Newsweek Blogs:
Obama Not First Surprising Nobel Peace Prize Winner: Seven Controversial Recipients

Discussion: News Desk, Politics Daily, Reuters and PostPartisan

Diane Marie Amann / The Huffington Post: Only Nine Months, But Still Deserving of the Prize

Mary Katharine Ham / Weekly Standard:
Meet the People Who Were Passed Over for Obama

Discussion: Globe and Mail and All American Blogger

Mark Finkelstein / NewsBusters.org:
White House: Scarborough ‘A-Hole’ For Mocking Nobel

Discussion: The Swamp and The Huffington Post

Eric Kleefeld / TPMDC:
Right Wingers Pitch Fits Over Nobel Peace Prize

Discussion: The Corner on National …, Talking Points Memo and Pajamas Media

Steve Krakauer / Mediaite:
Surveying the Anti-Climactic Moon Bombing Scene

Discussion: Gateway Pundit and Hot Air

William Kristol / PostPartisan: Not a Parody — The magazine I edit, The Weekly Standard, features a Parody each week.

Jesse Lee / WhiteHouse.gov Blog:
Building a World that “Gives Life to the Promise of Our Founding Documents”

Discussion: Wall Street Journal and Gothamist

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Unexpected Developments — It's not the accustomed stance of a writer or blogger.

Discussion: Washington Post

Adam Sage / Times of London:

Nuclear engineer from Cern lab arrested for al-Qaeda links — French agents have arrested a researcher from Europe's top atomic lab on suspicion of links to al-Qaeda, fuelling fears that terrorists could be targeting the nuclear industry. — The 32-year-old man, who was detained along with his brother …

Discussion: Telegraph, Atlas Shrugs and Hot Air

BBC:
‘Al-Qaeda-link’ Cern worker held

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias

Anthony Man / Sun-Sentinel:

Broward Republicans go gunning — Congressional candidate draws fire for shooting at target bearing rival's initials — HALLANDALE BEACH - Armed with handguns and AK-47 and AR-15 assault rifles, the members of the Southeast Broward Republican Club abandoned the usual community center …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Juice, Glenn Thrush's Blog, Washington Monthly, The Hill and DownWithTyranny!

MiamiHerald.com: Fla. GOP members shoot Muslim targets at gun range

Ezra Klein:

Bipartisanship Lost — I give David Brooks a hard time sometimes, but I really do wish the conservative movement would follow his example. “If I were in Congress, I'd figure there's an 80 percent chance of something like [the Baucus bill] passing anyway,” he writes.

David Brooks / New York Times:
The Baucus Conundrum — The longer the health care debate goes on …

Discussion: The New Republic

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:

Transit Pricing — I rode the Copenhagen Metro today and damn was it expensive—about $4 for the cheapest available (i.e., two zone) single ticket. That left me scratching my head as to why you would possibly put the fare so high. It turns out, however, that if you buy tickets ten at a time you get almost a 40 percent discount.