Any excuse: Conservative media attack Obama for being given Nobel Prize

Limbaugh: Nobel Committee awarded Obama to promote concept of “weakened, neutered U.S.” The Politico reported that, in an email, Rush Limbaugh said the award was a “greater embarrassment” than Chicago's failed Olympic bid. Limbaugh reportedly added, “They love a weakened, neutered U.S, and this is their way of promoting that concept. I think God has a great sense of humor, too.” [Politico, 10/9/09]

Malkin: “The World Apology Tour yields dividends.” Michelle Malkin wrote on her blog, “From community organizer to Illinois state senator (present!) to U.S. Senator for 143 days before moving into the White House...and now, the recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize -- not for anything he's actually done, but for the symbolism of what he might possibly accomplish sometime way off in the future." She added, “The World Apology Tour yields dividends.” [MichelleMalkin.com, 10/9/09]

Gateway Pundit: Obama awarded prize after he “bankrupted the US economy and destroyed the morale of our military.” Gateway Pundit asserted that Obama “turned his back on the Iranian freedom protesters ... He's allowed the Taliban killers back into the government ... He's sided with Marxists Castro, Chavez, Morales and Ortega ... Obama's bankrupted the US economy and destroyed the morale of our military. No wonder he was awarded the Nobel.” [Gateway Pundit, 10/9/09]

RedState's Erickson: “I did not realize the Nobel Peace Prize had an affirmative action quota.” Erick Erickson wrote, “I did not realize the Nobel Peace Prize had an affirmative action quota for it, but that is the only thing I can think of for this news. There is no way Barack Obama earned it in the nominations period.” [RedState, 10/9/09]

Mike Gallagher: “I guess his worldwide apology tour has worked.” Appearing on Fox & Friends, radio host Mike Gallagher stated, “The man hasn't completed a full year yet. Even Saturday Night Live is spoofing how little this man has accomplished. ... I mean, it must be good to be the king. I guess his worldwide apology tour has worked. Now the world community has said, 'OK, well we'll award you with something.' This is nonsensical, and it's great political fodder for the loyal opposition to say, once again, this Oprah president gets a nondeserved award for doing little or next to nothing.” [Fox News' Fox & Friends, 10/9/09]

Kilmeade wonders if this "[has] anything to do with delay of the deployment of 40,000 troops." Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade stated: “I'm looking at the charter, and we're just getting this now, but this guy Alfred Nobel stipulated the Peace Prize should go to the person who will have done the most or the best work of the fraternity between the nations and the abolition or reduction of standing armies and the formation and spreading of peace congresses. I'm wondering, does that have anything to do with the delay of the deployment of 40,000 troops in Afghanistan, because that was his big postulization [sic] over the last week or so. Should I put more troops in?” [Fox & Friends, 10/9/09]

NRO's Levin: Prize will awaken public's “intolerance for pompous arrogance.” Yuval Levin wrote on National Review Online's The Corner blog that the prize “risk[s] awakening with a vengeance the notorious good sense of the American public, and its democratic intolerance for pompous arrogance and nonsense.” Stating that the award “challenges Obama and his circle to assure the country that they are not delusional,” Levin asserted that “Obama himself and his circle” were among those that believed in his “cult of personality” and that “the world would change its attitude about America simply because he was there.” [National Review Online, 10/9/09]

Hot Air's Morrissey: “Perhaps they should change the award's name to the Neville rather than the Nobel.” Ed Morrissey wrote, "What diplomatic efforts 'so far'? He gave a speech in Cairo and ... and ... and ... gave a few in Europe, too." He added, “Obama did make a big show of appeasing Iran during its election crisis. Perhaps they should change the award's name to the Neville rather than the Nobel." [Hot Air, 10/9/09]

Conservative media previously rooted against Chicago's Olympic bid

Brzezinski notes similarity between conservatives attacking Obama over Olympics and criticizing Nobel Peace Prize. On MSNBC's Morning Joe, after Joe Scarborough stated that “Marisa Tomei did more to win the Academy Award in My Cousin Vinny ... than Barack Obama has done to win a Nobel Peace Prize,” Mika Brzezinski stated, “This is hypocritical to criticize the people who said 'ha, ha, ha' about Chicago, and now you're saying it's not right that the president won the Nobel Peace Prize.” Scarborough previously wrote of opposition to Chicago's bid that “the fact many right-wing figures opposed the President's mission shows just how narrow-minded partisanship makes us all.”

Fox News attack machine smeared Chicago as a violent city unsuitable for Olympics. Prior to the IOC's decision, conservative media -- led by Fox News -- attacked Obama's support of Chicago's Olympic bid: smearing the city as unfit to host the Olympics, often by citing individual instances of violence. For example, Sean Hannity, after citing a recent murder and an assault, asked whether Chicago is “a city where we want the Olympics,” and Glenn Beck said, “Chicago is good at ... organized Mafi -- oops, did I say that out loud?”

Beck led conservative media in raising specter of Chicago cronyism to attack Obama's bid for Olympics. Conservative media suggested or claimed that Obama was advocating for Chicago to host the Olympics in order to return political favors to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley or forward the financial interests of other “Chicago pals.” For instance, Beck advanced baseless speculation that Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett “may personally benefit” from the Olympics, and Malkin wrote that Daley “cronies” in Obama's circle are “returning the favor for their hometown boss” by pushing for the Chicago Olympics.

Fox News used Olympic bid to attack Obama. Fox News hosts, contributors, and guests used Obama's promotion of Chicago's Olympic bid as an excuse to attack him. Attacks on Obama's efforts included Hannity saying that “it sounds” like Obama “is more concerned about bringing the Olympics to Chicago than winning the war in Afghanistan”; Brent Bozell claiming Obama's trip to Copenhagen to promote the Chicago bid “is evidence that this man just cannot stay away from the klieg lights”; and Bret Baier invoking the “carbon footprint” of Obama's trip to Copenhagen to smear the president.

Conservative media celebrated Chicago's elimination, bashed Obama. Numerous media conservatives celebrated the IOC's decision to award the 2016 Olympics to Rio de Janeiro rather than Chicago. For instance, Beck crowed that the IOC's decision was “so sweet,” and Limbaugh stated, “I don't deny it. I'm happy,” while Bill Kristol stated that “you couldn't help but be amused by it.”