Prize is an air-quotes honor

I was stunned and appalled to open the paper and read that President Barack Obama, a man with nary a single notable accomplishment outside winning the U.S. presidency, was "honored" with the Nobel Peace Prize. Not because he has any accomplishment to his name, but to "encourage his initiatives."

While other U.S. presidents have won the prize, it is usually after a lifetime of achievement or activism. This "honor" puts Obama in the shadow of truly deserving winners such as Albert Schweitzer, Linus Pauling, Mother Teresa and Lech Walesa – people who truly changed the world – and it also cheapens the award.

Shame on you, Nobel prize committee. I for one will never take this "honor" seriously again.

– Ann Gonzalez Kramer, El Dorado Hills

Broaden the probe of ACORN

Hmm, let's see: President Barack Obama is sworn into office Jan. 20 and nominated 11 days later for the Nobel Peace Prize. It seems like a person should actually have to do something first before being nominated.

The man is truly amazing – or maybe someone from ACORN was on the Nobel panel.

– Hazel McPherson, Roseville

The Michael Crabtree of politics

Due respect to President Barack Obama, but giving him the Nobel Peace Prize at this stage of his career and presidency is like the NFL giving Michael Crabtree the MVP award.

– John W. Dupree Jr., Orangevale

Another football fan weighs in

Giving Obama the Nobel Peace Prize based solely on his vision is like giving the St. Louis Rams the Super Bowl trophy for theirs.

We continue to be the laughingstock for the world, and now even the world is getting in on the action of us being socialist.

– Bill Moore, El Dorado Hills

Was Amy Poehler involved?

President Barack Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Since when did the cast of "Saturday Night Live" become the Nobel Peace Prize committee?

– Jack Seal, Folsom

Another 'SNL' fan weighs in

Unbelievable. President Barack Obama receives the Nobel Peace Prize, nominated one week in office, for what he has yet to accomplish.

This award is a farce. Obama agrees he doesn't deserve it but is accepting it anyway. Just another example how the liberals of the world join hands to sing praises for one another so they can feel good about themselves. It's nothing more than symbolic, emphasizing their ideology is right and the rest of us are wrong/stupid.

What are the criteria for the award? In the words in Alfred Nobel's will, the peace prize shall go to the person who "during the preceding year … 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." The key words are "have done."

In the words echoed on "Saturday Night Live" by an Obama player summing up Obama's accomplishments: "What have I accomplished? Nothing, nada, zippo!" Case closed!

– Tom Bogetich, Carmichael

Know your ABCs? Prize for you!

It is really amazing, or rather disgusting, that the Nobel Prize Committee could give the peace prize to President Barack Obama as a token of his "expected" generation of worldwide peace sometime in the future.

I hope that Alfred Nobel's coffin is well-built, as he is probably rolling over in it more now than ever before.

In this light, then, they should consider giving the physics prize to the most outstanding graduate of Princeton in expectation that sometime within the next 30 years of his/her life he/she will make some significant contribution to the understanding of the laws of nature. Then how about the economics prize to the outstanding economics graduate of Yale. Or the chemistry prize to the outstanding graduate of UC Berkeley. Or, best astronomy graduate from Caltech.

This could go on and on, and then these young people would not have to work hard for many years to gain the recognition they would eventually deserve.

The prestige of the Nobel Prize has just hit its lowest level!

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