This CNN article has a lot of great info about Obama and the Peace Prize

[Renew Deal]

(CNN) -- President Obama on Friday said he was "surprised and deeply humbled" by winning the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

"I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership," Obama said from the White House Rose Garden.

"I will accept this award as a call to action."

Obama said he did not feel he deserves "to be in the company" of past winners.

The Nobel announcement was a stunning decision that comes just eight months into Obama's presidency.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it honored Obama for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

The decision appeared to catch most observers by surprise.

The president had not been mentioned as among front-runners for the prize, and the roomful of reporters gasped when Thorbjorn Jagland, chairman of the Nobel committee, uttered Obama's name.
<snip>

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/10/09/nobel.peace.prize/index.html

Read the entire thing. It's better than most of the crap floating around right now.

[phasma ex machina]

1. The committee wanted to be "far more daring" than in recent times ...

and make an impact on global politics, said Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the International Peace Research Institute.