i'll take the accolades too

There is really no way to describe the Republican reaction to Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize other than abject insanity. Granted, given the fact that Obama has been in office for a mere 9 months, the choice was certainly political (and does make one wonder whether the Committee either has absolutely no comprehension of American politics or harbors a wish for Obama's demise). Regardless, I had no idea what an overwhelming threat international approval posed for the United States.

In typical fashion, Limbaugh goes after Obama, "the Nobel people" and the rest of the world by boiling the entire process down to its core: it is an attempt to, essentially, cut off the United States' balls. He accused Obama of "basically emasculating this country" and the Nobel committee of attempting "to neuter the United States of America. They've done it by rewarding the pacifist." (No, not that! That might be even worse than l-word!) He also, in a shout-out to the Birther movement, referred to Obama as "the second Kenyan to win." Glenn Beck on the other hand took the opportunity to bizarrely suggest that the Nobel Peace Prize "should be given to the Tea Party goers and the 9-12 Project." My favorite Republican response, however, may have to be that of Senator Inhofe who said:

This just reemphasizes how this president has moved the United States from a foreign policy of strong national defense to one based on multinational cooperation. That is the kind of change that the Nobel committee believes in.

The Nobel committee believes in a foreign policy based on multinational cooperation?? It does not get much worse than that, folks.

In the midst of this absurdity, however, hats off to PJ Crawley of the State Department for summing up an appropriate response to the Republican charges:

Certainly from our standpoint, this gives us a sense of momentum — when the United States has accolades tossed its way, rather than shoes.