Friday, October 9, 2009

Wilson, Obama, and the Nobel Peace Prize

President Obama was awakened today to learn that he had won the Nobel Peace Prize. Congratulations are in order. The conservatives are already mocking this decision; good thing that Chicago was not picked as the next city for the Olympics, or it would have definitely pushed the Republicans over the edge (not that far of a reach, in my estimation).

Well - one question that naturally arises, is who was the last sitting US President to win the Nobel Peace Prize? I checked, and it was President Woodrow Wilson in 1919. Wilson was chosen for his work in the development of the League of Nations. Interestingly, and also ironic, is that Woodrow Wilson was not a supporter of equal rights for blacks; that is putting it mildly, actually. His record on race relations was not very good. You know what they say - "karma is a bitch." Well, anyway, here is a snippet (no sound) of Woodrow Wilson in the White House in 1917 (see video below). The sheep on the front lawn are real.