Awesome, awesome story. And we had some of our own there!! How exciting!!!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/10/11/ST2009101101924.html

In a surprising announcement this morning by the Nobel Committee, President Obama was named the winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.  According to the committee, Obama was given this high honor for his, “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

Already Republican leaders are criticizing Obama, saying he has yet to accomplish anything worthy of this prize.  A statement from the Republican National Committee this morning read:

“The real question Americans are asking is, ‘What has President Obama actually accomplished?  It is unfortunate that the president’s star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights. One thing is certain — President Obama won’t be receiving any awards from Americans for job creation, fiscal responsibility, or backing up rhetoric with concrete action.”

While the criticism that President Obama, only nine months into his term, has yet to accomplish anything worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize may not be completely unfounded it is more important, in my opinion, to look at what this award can symbolize for our nation as a whole.  By bestowing this prize on the sitting President, the Nobel Committee has shown optimism and faith in what the United States can do to help promote peace worldwide.  Instead of launching attacks, now is a time to come together as one nation, and celebrate.

Read more as the story develops here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/world/10nobel.html?_r=1&hp

I felt like we needed another post about healthcare today.

Props to both of Wisconsin’s great Senators for hopping on this:

U.S. Sen. Feingold: Among 30 senators signing letter urging inclusion of public option in final health reform legislation
10/8/2009

Contact: Zach Lowe or Katie Rowley – (202) 224-8657

As Health Reform Bill Prepares to Move to Floor, Letter Shows Depth of Support for Public Option Among Senate Democrats

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold and 29 other senators signed a letter today urging the inclusion of a public option in any health reform legislation that will be considered on the Senate floor. An additional 14 senators have expressed support for the public option through a resolution, letter, or by voting for a strong public option during committee markups.

The senators’ letter expresses concern that “absent a competitive and continuous public insurance option – health reform legislation will not produce nationwide access and ongoing cost containment.”

It continues on to state that “the number one goal of health reform must be to look out for the best interests of the American people – patients and taxpayers alike – not the profit margins of insurance companies.”

The letter, which was circulated by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), was signed by Feingold; John D. Rockefeller (D-WV); Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT); Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI); Tom Udall (D-NM); Kristen E. Gillibrand (D-NY); Roland W. Burris (D-IL); Ron Wyden (D-OR); Debbie Stabenow (D-MI); Barbara Boxer (D-CA); Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI); Michael F. Bennet (D-CO); Dianne Feinstein (D-CA); Jack Reed (D-RI); Jeff Merkley (D-OR); Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ); Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD); Al Franken (D-MN); Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA); Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD); Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI); Edward E. Kaufman (D-DE); Arlen Specter (D-PA); Maria Cantwell (D-WA); Robert Menendez (D-NJ); Bernard Sanders (I-VT); John F. Kerry (D-MA); Herb Kohl (D-WI); and Paul Kirk (D-MA).

A full copy of the letter can be found at:

http://wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=172966

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker are frontrunners in their respective Democratic and Republican gubernatorial primaries, according to a recent poll conducted here on campus.

Barrett, Walker frontrunners in UW-Madison poll

By Hannah Furfaro

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker held the lead in hypothetical primaries for the 2010 gubernatorial election in a poll conducted by UW-Madison and the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute.

According to the poll results, Barrett was favored over Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, receiving 38 percent of the vote to Lawton’s 16 percent in a hypothetical Democratic matchup. Walker, who received 39 percent of the vote, was preferred over former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann, R-Wis., who received 14 percent of the vote in a Republican matchup.

The poll found many Wisconsinites had not yet decided who they will vote for. Additionally, a large percentage of those surveyed were unfamiliar with the candidates, with 36 percent of respondents saying they had never heard of Walker and 33 percent saying they had never heard of Barrett.

Political party affiliation was also polled. Thirty-three percent identified as Democrats and 26 percent identified as Republicans. Twenty-nine percent said they consider themselves independents.

The poll showed 58 percent of Wisconsinites are concerned that important issues in Wisconsin are headed down the wrong track. George Lightbourn, president of WPRI, said the people of Wisconsin are not confident in Wisconsin’s governing powers.

“Only 29 percent think they can trust state government to do the right thing most of the time. Forty-six percent think that, in the last year, state government has made the economic situation worse,” he said in a statement.

Thirty-two percent of those surveyed said protecting jobs and improving the economy should currently be the state Legislature’s top priority.

The poll was conducted of 700 randomly selected Wisconsin adults and has a overall margin of error of 3.8 percent.

Read the original article by The Daily Cardinal.

As we wallow in anger over the Packer’s near victory against that traitor, enjoy this story a friend shared with me:

http://kennedy.senate.gov/senator/index.cfm#packer

Apparently, Ted Kennedy could have been a Green Bay Packer.

President Obama is going to be delivering the keynote address at Human Rights Campaign dinner this Saturday evening.  This will be the first time a sitting president has spoken at the annual dinner since President Clinton in 1997.  The dinner this year falls on the eve of the National Equality March, the first gay rights march to be held in DC since 1993.  The march will happen this Sunday and calls for full LGBT equality in all 50 states.

Check out the press release from the Human Rights Campaign website!

President Barack Obama to Deliver Keynote Address at the 13th Annual Human Rights Campaign Dinner

U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy will also present first Edward M. Kennedy National Leadership Award to Judy and Dennis Shepard

10/5/2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, announced today that President Barack Obama will deliver the keynote address at the 13th Annual National Dinner on Saturday, October 10th, in Washington, D.C.  U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy will also present the first-ever Edward M. Kennedy National Leadership Award to Judy and Dennis Shepard.  The award is named in honor of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), a champion in the fight for LGBT equality.

“We are honored to share this night with President Obama, who has called upon our nation to embrace LGBT people as brothers and sisters,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.  “It is fitting that he will speak to our community on the night that we pay tribute to his friend and mentor Senator Edward Kennedy, who knew that as president, Barack Obama would take on the unfinished business of this nation – equal rights for the LGBT community, and for every person who believes in liberty and justice for all.”

Check out the article here: http://www.hrc.org/13628.htm