Midnight Blue Says

Who knew the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Peace Prizes for an American Presidential Inauguration? Then again they did hand out the Nobel Peace prize to Yassir Arafat and Al Gore.

This Ain’t Hell reminds of past President’s who have been awarded this prize:

What could make this even more stupid? Nominations for the prize closed in February. Theodore Roosevelt was awarded the prize because he brokered peace between Russia and Japan. Woodrow Wilson was awarded the prize because he established the League of Nations. Barack Obama wins because he had an Inauguration.

Peace prize or no -  still a one term President.

MKH looks at who the selection committee threw under the bus for ‘The One’:

Sima Samar, women’s rights activist in Afghanistan: “With dogged persistence and at great personal risk, she kept her schools and clinics open in Afghanistan even during the most repressive days of the Taliban regime, whose laws prohibited the education of girls past the age of eight. When the Taliban fell, Samar returned to Kabul and accepted the post of Minister for Women’s Affairs.”

Ingrid Betancourt: French-Colombian ex-hostage held for six years.

“Dr. Denis Mukwege: Doctor, founder and head of Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo. He has dedicated his life to helping Congolese women and girls who are victims of gang rape and brutal sexual violence.”

Handicap International and Cluster Munition Coalition: “These organizations are recognized for their consistently serious efforts to clean up cluster bombs, also known as land mines. Innocent civilians are regularly killed worldwide because the unseen bombs explode when stepped upon.”

“Hu Jia, a human rights activist and an outspoken critic of the Chinese government, who was sentenced last year to a three-and-a-half-year prison term for ‘inciting subversion of state power.’”

“Wei Jingsheng, who spent 17 years in Chinese prisons for urging reforms of China’s communist system. He now lives in the United States.”

And one wonders why many all over the world are questioning this ridiculous decision. Obama said he was ‘humbled’ by this award. A humbled leader in this situation would have stepped aside and let another worthy candidate accept the prize in recognition of their lifelong achievements.

The industrious Mata – whom I would nominate for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize – took a closer look at the Nobel committee candidate selection process:

February – Deadline for submission. The Committee bases its assessment on nominations that must be postmarked no later than 1 February each year. Nominations postmarked and received after this date are included in the following year’s discussions. In recent years, the Committee has received close to 200 different nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. The number of nominating letters is much higher, as many are for the same candidates.

Mata Musing: Obama nominated 12 days after being sworn in… for the first time. Or was someone crazy enough to nominate Candidate Obama??

February-March – Short list. The Committee assesses the candidates’ work and prepares a short list.

Mata Musing: the candidates work? That should have taken all of five minutes with the Big Zero.

March-August – Adviser review. The short list is reviewed by permanent advisers and advisers specially recruited for their knowledge of specific candidates. The advisers do not directly evaluate nominations nor give explicit recommendations.

Mata Musing: Since I doubt they are giving the award for how fast a POTUS can burn thru taxpayers cash, maybe he made the short list on the close Gitmo promise?

October – Nobel Laureates are chosen. At the beginning of October, the Nobel Committee chooses the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates through a majority vote. The decision is final and without appeal. The names of the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates are then announced.

Mata Musing: Guess closing Gitmo wasn’t a consideration after all…

December – Nobel Laureates receive their prize. The Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony takes place on 10 December in Oslo, Norway, where the Nobel Laureates receive their Nobel Prize, which consists of a Nobel Medal and Diploma, and a document confirming the prize amount.

Mata Musing: another expensive date night for the Obamas and family/friends. Wonder if this is considered State business and charged to the taxpayer? Or maybe he can use his prize bucks to pay for it himself. If not, I sure hope they take the same dang plane and save costs and carbon footprint!

Let Obama collect his unearned award,  Americans have larger issues in safeguarding this nation from Cap&Steal,  disastrous health care reform, and a rebuilding in the wake of a failed stimulus program.  Also, we have three more years in which we can confirm the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize was an error in judgment.