In an hastily-arranged press conference which just ended at the National Press Club, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele condemned the Nobel Committee for awarding the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize to President Barack Obama of the United States.
Steele offered the following remarks
Hajo de Reijger, Politicalcartoons.com (The Netherlands)
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"The Nobel Committee has done a great injustice to all peace-loving people around the world by prematurely awarding this prestigious award to someone who is totally undeserving of it. In fact, the person who is a deserving recipient was the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. Remember him? His vision, governing philosophy, and far-reaching efforts to promote peace and cooperation amongst various nations should have resulted in him, and not Barack Obama, being selected for this international honor."
More of Chairman Steele's expanded remarks below the fold.
Steele was visibly angry and frustrated when he added the following
David Fitzsimmons, Arizona Star
R.J. Matson, New York Observer
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"Getting awards is not about personal charm or having a smart, well-educated spouse, or about using big words in speeches. It is about resolute, steadfast behavior in the face of adversity. Plain-spoken George W. Bush exemplified it and was a perfect example of good old-fashioned American global leadership."
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Brian Duffy, Des Moines Register
Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune
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"Senator Hillary Clinton warned us during the 2008 Primaries that Barack Obama regularly used Vicks Nyquil to fall sleep every night and was totally incapable of handling emergency phone calls at 3:00am. Who needs a leader like that? George W. Bush, on the other hand, was well-known for working late into the night and getting up early each morning fully refreshed and ready to tackle daunting issues. What courage he displayed when confronted with seemingly insurmountable odds!"
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Dave Granlund, Politicalcartoons.com
RJ Matson, St. Louis Post Dispatch
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"Barack Obama arranges one beer summit and is rewarded with the Nobel Peace Prize? This is the height of irresponsible behavior. The Republican Party symbolizes cordial relations between the various races. I've had many a beer summit with my friends, most of whom are white. I should mention, though, that no one knew beer like George W. Bush. All kinds of beers were Bush's best friends. And, as a mark of enduring respect, they even erected statues in Iraq for Bush's beer-loving days."
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Stephane Peray, The Nation (Bangkok, Thailand)
Bob Englehart, Hartford Courant
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"I mean Obama hasn't even completed one year in office and he is chosen for this honor? Who was his personal lobbyist? We know Obama loves those atheist Europeans. Hell, even his dog is Portugese. A god-fearing and devoted Christian, Bush worked extremely hard for eight long years to unite all kinds of people in the Middle East. Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, Palestinians, Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Afghanis, and Arabs all over are united in their opposition to the United States. That takes some skill and doing. We always knew he was a uniter, not a divider."
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Towards the end of this long, rambling press conference, Steele was asked if he had anything else to add. He checked his BlackBerry and said the following
Jeff Danziger, New York Times Syndicate
Steve Benson, Arizona Republic
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"As I was expressing my gratitude to George W. Bush for his visionary leadership and eight long years of peace and prosperity, I received an email from the next President of the United States. Governor Sarah Palin confirmed that she could see Oslo from her house. And was willing and able to travel to Norway on December 10th to accept the award should the Nobel Committee change its mind. I mean, other than Bush, I can't think of a more deserving person for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize."
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With that, Chairman Steele concluded his press conference -- and at the request of his audience to promote the fast-growing, racially-diverse, and increasingly-tolerant political party he represented -- did his best Puff Daddy impression
R.J. Matson, St. Louis Post Dispatch
The audience -- consisting of the nation's best journalists and other luminaries like Senator Mitch McConnell, Congressman John Boner, Congressman Eric Cantor, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, FOX television personality Glenn Beck, Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, and noted lawyer and dentist Orly Taitz -- cheered wildly.
They had never seen such an impressive political performance.
Crossposted at Docudharma
