Does Obama Deserve Nobel Peace Prize?

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - President Barack Obama was named the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday to his and many other people's surprise.

The Nobel committee praised the president for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

But many are mystified as to why Obama deserves the award. Obama's Republican opponents were quick to express their surprise and confusion.

"The real question Americans are asking is, 'What has President Obama actually accomplished?'" the Republican National Committee said in a statement . "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."

Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh told Politico.com in an e-mail , "This fully exposes the illusion that is Barack Obama ... And with this 'award' the elites of the world are urging Obama, THE MAN OF PEACE, to not do the surge in Afghanistan, not take action against Iran and its nuclear program and to basically continue his intentions to emasculate the United States."

Even left-wingers agreed that the award was premature and undeserved. Liberal blog Talk Left wrote , "Just because the Nobel Committee wants to make fools of themselves, Obama should not have to play along. He should turn it down."

But others believe that the award recognizes the strides that Obama has made in the short time that he's been president. "Obama has changed the tone America uses to speak to the world generally and the Muslim world specifically," wrote Salon's Glenn Greenwald . "His speech in Cairo, his first-week interview on al-Arabiya, and the extraordinarily conciliatory holiday video he sent to Iran are all substantial illustrations of that. His willingness to sit down and negotiate with Iran -- rather than threaten and berate them -- has already produced tangible results."

World leaders recognized the impact of Obama's presidency so far and praised his efforts. "Obama's Nobel Peace Prize marks 'America's return to the hearts of the people of the world,'" said French President Nicolas Sarkozy . Added Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency who won the prize in 2005, "In less than a year in office, he has transformed the way we look at ourselves and the world we live in and rekindled hope for a world at peace with itself."

Other U.S. presidents who have won the Nobel Peace Prize include Jimmy Carter for his work promoting social and economic justice; Theodore Wilson for his work ending the Russo-Japanese War; and Woodrow Wilson for aiding in the formation of the League of Nations.