Barack Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize

The announcement that Barack Obama had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize sent his more vociferous opponents into paroxysms of furor not seen since Chicago lost its bid to host the Olympics a week ago. Media Matters has the rundown on right wing rage over the award. Glenn Beck opined that Obama should turn it down because of his “arrogance,” and said that the Prize should be given to—wait for it—“the Tea Party goers and the 9-12 Project.”
Perhaps the award was aspirational, but the announcement has yielded unexpected agreement on one front. Rush Limbaugh said today, “we all agree with the Taliban and Iran” in deriding the honor. One can almost see them sitting around a campfire together strumming their guitars and singing songs about creating a more divided world.
John McCain may be a bit of a grouch at times, but he sounded gracious in congratulating Obama:

Oh, I’m sure that the president is very honored to receive this award. And Nobel Committee, I can’t divine all their intentions, but I think part of their decision-making was expectations. And I’m sure the president understands that he now has even more to live up to. But as Americans, we’re proud when our president receives an award of that prestigious category.

As a lifelong Democrat, I’m in no hurry to see the loyal opposition disentangle itself from the discordant voices of the far right. The nuttier they sound, the easier it is for our side. But as a citizen, I welcome the day when the GOP can shake off the crazy and mean-spirited talk and we can get back to merely disagreeing.
Update: Not wanting to be left behind, Delaware Politics ran a post from Christine O'Donnell calling the world's most prestigious honor "the Nobel Peace Bribe."