Oct. 12, 2009, News Update

OCT. 12, 2009, NEWS UPDATE

President Obama wins Nobel Prize. Shock and Awe. Shocking and Awful?

Supporters claim well deserved. Critics cry "premature adulation."

Obama says "I feel I don't deserve to be in the company of past winners." You are not alone in that sentiment, sir. Expression of humility accepted. But maybe you could have found a better way to say that without providing ammunition to your critics.

Nobel Committe says he won for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." Translation from the Norwegian: He's not George Bush.

Prize or political statement? Or maybe Committee was just making up for his losing Olympic Games in 2016.

Nobel Committee betting, as they say in Vegas, on the come.

Nominations closed on Feb. 1, like three weeks after Obama took office. Talk about betting on the come Who do you suppose nominated him? Bill or Hillary Clinton? Naaah. More likely Emanual Rahm. Or Michelle Obama.

Critics claim lack of accomplishments. Oh yeah, what about making peace between Boston cop and that Harvard professor over a beer?

World leaders praise decision. Israel congratulates Obama and says they will celebrate his achievement by building new settlements on West Bank.

Republican National Committee Chairman immediately issues statement condemning decision. Is there a Nobel Prize for ungraciousness? Perhaps he took lead from Hamas and Taliban?

NY Times columnist David Brooks says Obama should reject award. Oh sure, just because your candidate Dick Cheney didn't get it.

Another NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman says Obama should use acceptance speech in Oslo to honor "peacemakers" -- US military forces. Sure, Tom, like the US military forces who gratuitously and disastrously invaded Iraq. They've only given us eight years of "peacemaking." Friedman pathetically still trying to justify his egregiously wrong support of Iraq invasion.

Final word. French President Sarkozy, himself a candidate, got it right. "... it recognizes the return of America to the hearts of all the people of the world." Big words too hard for small minds to comprehend.

NASA sends two rockets to explode on moon to find out if there's water there. Luckily, moon did not fire back. Another costly -- $79 million plus -- example of space agency's idea bankruptcy. If it's so important to find water on the moon, why didn't they give Neil Anderson a dowsing stick? And if they do discover water on the moon, so what? So [bleeping] what?

Saturn cars going out of business. First Pluto demoted as planet, now this.

McDonald's planning to open branch at the Louvre Museum in Paris. That should put a smile on the face of Mona Lisa. And perhaps cause frustration for Venus de Milo. Question? What wine goes best with Big Mac?

Republicans fail in attempt to oust New York Congressman Charles Rangel as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee ... er ... make that the "powerful" House Ways and Means Committee. Republicans just don't have a funny bone. They don't see the humor in having a tax cheat as the head of major tax-writing committee.

Golf added as Olympic sport for 2016. Can Tiger win the gold at age 40? Rugby also added. Don't look for any American gold there, mate.

Rush Limbaugh said to be interested in buying St. Louis Rams football team. Is that a good idea? They'd never be able to run to the left.