My .02

Just my thoughts on the story of the day, no links:

1. The Nobel Peace Prize has always been a way to make a political statement, and this year is no different. This year they could have renamed it the Nobel Prize For Not Being George W. Bush, and there's nothing wrong with that. Bush was a terrible president, especially in the field of foreign policy. He made one of the worst foreign policy calls in the country's history, and shunned countries that didn't cooperate with his mistake. To those who whine about how Obama has "nothing to show" for his policy aims I would say he's had nine months. Bush had eight years and all he could do was wreck everything and then wait out the clock and hand his problems off to the next guy.

2. This award is premature though, and I think he will take a hit for it domestically, but it wont do any harm internationally. It's a little sad that the "loyal opposition" couldn't at least issue a pro forma press release congratulating him before they began to lay into him (I stand corrected). I can hear the "Obama's off accepting awards in Norway when he should be worried about jobs" talking points already.

3. Although it's been confirmed that he will go to Oslo to accept the award so the point is moot, I definitely think it would have been a bad idea to decline the prize. It would have just been seen as a slap in the face, not a gesture of humility.

4. I'm a liberal arugula-eating europhile elitist, so I'm glad to have the type of president who wins Nobel Peace Prizes.

5. Bill Clinton must not be having a good day.