now,sit back and watch the Neocons heads spin,,,
http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2009/10/12/opinion/doc4ad360389813c561496802.txtTo the Editor,
Today is a proud and momentous day for the United States. Our President, Barack Obama, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Many will criticize this decision. I will try to remind you of its appropriateness: On March 18, 2008, Obama caught world-wide attention for his moving speech on race relations; On July 24, 2008, Obama lays the foundation for a new era of international relations and began inspiring renewed hope in American leadership during his campaign speech in Berlin; On Nov. 6, 2008, Obama’s victory was hailed as a promise of hope for the world; On Dec. 1, 2008, Obama began plans to restore U.N. ambassador to cabinet rank; On Jan. 22, he appointed a Special Envoy for Middle East peace; On Jan. 22, he ordered the closing of Guantanamo Bay; On Jan. 22, he ordered comprehensive review of detention policies; On Jan. 22, he prohibited use of torture; On Jan. 22, he signed an executive order to close CIA secret prisons; On Jan. 23, he lifted “Global Gag Rule” on international health groups; On Jan. 26, he began to address climate change by increasing fuel standards for automobiles; On Jan. 26 he appointed Special Envoy for Climate Change; On Jan. 27, he signs Lily Ledbetter “Fair Pay” Act; On Feb. 1, he expanded healthcare for children by signing SCHIP; On Feb. 5, he again addressed energy conservation by increasing standards for appliances; On Feb. 24, he directed almost $1 billion for prevention and wellness to improve America’s health; On Feb. 25, he initiated international efforts to reduce mercury emissions worldwide; On Feb. 27, he committed to responsibly ending the war in Iraq; On April 1, he agreed to negotiation of a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia; On April 1, he enhanced U.S. - China relations; On April 2, he led global response to the economic crisis through the G20, obtaining commitments of $1.1 trillion to safeguard the world’s most vulnerable economies; On April 4, he renewed dialog with NATO and other key allies; On April 5, he announced new strategy to responsible address international nuclear proliferation; On April 13, he began easing tension with Cuba through new policy stance; On April 17, he secured $5 billion in aid commitments “to bolster economy and help it fight terror and Islamic radicalism”; On April 22, he developed the renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that produce electricity from wind, wave, and ocean currents; On May 8, he proposed International Affaires budget that included funds to create a civilian response corps — teams of civilian experts in rule of law, policing, transitional governance, economics, engineering, and other areas critical to helping rebuild war-torn societies; Provide $40 million for a “stabilization bridge fund,” which would provide rapid response funds for the State Department to help stabilize a crisis situation; On June 4, he gave historic address to the Muslim World in Cairo: “American is not at war with Islam” foreign affairs experts insist that Obama’s engagement with the Muslim world has been remarkable. “He has been able to dramatically change America’s image in that region”; On Aug. 4, he used DIPLOMACY to free two American journalists from a North Korea prison; On Sept. 18, he de-escalation of nuclear tension through repurposing of missile defense prompting Russia to withdraw its missile plan.
In 1895 Alfred Nobel designated the Nobel Peace Prize to “the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” We should be a proud nation to be the recipients, by proxy, of this award. It is truly humbling and the sign of a new era in foreign relations.