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Obama on the Prize: "A Call to Action"

Classy and well-played. He makes it about others, not himself, and effectively admits that he doesn't deserve it:

I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee.  Let me be clear:  I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations.

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that this prize reflects the kind of world that those men and women, and all Americans, want to build -- a world that gives life to the promise of our founding documents.  And I know that throughout history, the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.  And that is why I will accept this award as a call to action -- a call for all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st century.

By the way, there's been an absurd amount of snark from the right, as Chait notes. But I do have to credit an NRO reader with the line of the day:

Any chance we can get Kanye West to attend the ceremony for the Nobel Peace Prize.  Talk about a time for him to step up.