Politico
Limbaugh: 'Greater embarrassment' than losing Olympics
By: Jonathan Martin
October 9, 2009 09:45 AM EST
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.
"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."
The Nobel award comes a week to the day after Obama's personal pitch for the 2016 Olympics in Chicago was rejected by the International Olympic Committee.
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele echoed the view: “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.”
And conservative strategist Craig Shirley said on POLITICO’s The Arena: “Utterly ridiculous. The credibility of the Nobel Peace Prize has been dwindling downward for years and now it has hit rock bottom.. . . Reagan won the Cold War, freed millions, yet was never awarded the Nobel.”
Even as some conservatives ridiculed the award, others in the GOP expressed more caution, not wanting to simply trample on what will be a great source of pride for many in the country.
Mike Huckabee and Tim Pawlenty — both potential 2012 presidential contenders — urged restraint.
"There will be an outcry from those on the right who will say that Obama's nomination, made two weeks into his Presidency, is impossible to justify, but I think such an outcry will sound like right-wing whining," Huckabee said in a statement. "The better response is simply to allow those on the left to explain what he did in his first two weeks as President that merited such recognition."
Pawlenty, speaking on NPR, said there "will be some people who are saying 'Was it based on good intentions and thoughts or is it going to be based on good results?'"
"But I think the appropriate response is when anybody wins a Nobel Prize, that is a very noteworthy development and designation and I think the appropriate response is to say 'Congratulations,'" said the Minnesota governor.