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[MUSIC PLAYING] KERRI MILLER: Coming up on the first hour of Midmorning, President Obama is the newest recipient of one of the most prestigious awards in the world. How will the Nobel Peace Prize change his international agenda and standing? How might it affect his domestic agenda? We're going to talk to all sides, including US Senator Al Franken as Midmorning begins in a moment. Stay with us.

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First, news.

PAUL BROWN: From NPR News in Washington, I'm Paul Brown. President Obama is scheduled to comment in less than half an hour on his winning of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. The award is largely being applauded in Europe. The Norwegian Nobel committee said Mr. Obama gives the world hope for a better future in working to further international cooperation and to rid the world of nuclear weapons. Teri Schultz has more from Brussels on reaction in Europe.

TERI SCHULTZ: Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the EU'S executive arm, the European Commission, sent a message of warm congratulations to President Obama, saying his selection will encourage others to work toward the vision of a nuclear-free world, but also reminded President Obama in the message, spokeswoman Pia Hansen said that the award carries not just prestige but responsibility as well.

PIA HANSEN: It's also a recognition of the expectations created everywhere by President Obama's determination to work closely with the United States partners to shape global responses to the global challenges we face today.

TERI SCHULTZ: Some European candidates, including French President Nicolas Sarkozy, were believed to be on the secret list of candidates for the prize, which is awarded annually in Oslo. For NPR News, I'm Teri Schultz in Brussels.

PAUL BROWN: In Pakistan, at least 49 people were killed today when a massive car bomb ripped through a crowded market in the old quarter of the Northwestern city of Peshawar. The city has become a frequent target of terror attacks. From Lahore, NPR's Julie McCarthy reports.

JULIE MCCARTHY: The bombing in a shopping area close to the city's main Khyber Bazaar is one of the deadliest in six months. A thick cloud of smoke visible for miles rose over the site of the blast that overturned a commuter bus whose charred ruins lay in the road. Eyewitnesses reported passers by rushing to cover the bodies of victims whose clothes had been burned off.

There's been no claim of responsibility, but analysts say the deadly explosion demonstrates the ability of insurgents to strike despite ongoing operations against them and the death of the leader of the Pakistan Taliban in a US drone missile strike. Today's bombing comes just days after a Taliban suicide attacker slipped the security in Islamabad and killed five aid workers at the Office of the UN's World Food Program. Julie McCarthy, NPR news, Lahore.

PAUL BROWN: The House of Representatives has passed a measure to provide federal legal protection against hate crimes committed on the basis of a person's sexual orientation. It's attached to a major defense appropriations bill, which angered republicans who said it forced them to vote against the defense bill for a reason unrelated to the military or defense. The entire bill, including the hate crimes provision, is expected to easily pass the Senate and become law. Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial average is up 21 points at 9,808 in early trading. The NASDAQ composite is up 8 points. This is NPR News.

SPEAKER 1: Support for news comes from Mini featuring the 37 mile per gallon Mini Cooper with Go Kart handling. Learn more at miniusa.com/info.

JOHN WANNAMAKER: From Minnesota Public Radio News, I'm John Wanamaker. Enrollment at the University of Minnesota is up 2% over last fall. Tim Post reports.

TIM POST: Enrollment at the University of Minnesota's four campuses is over 67,000 students this fall, 1,000 more than last year. University officials say the growth comes in part because more people without jobs or those who need more training are attending college in the down economy. The university also says its retention rate is improving.

90% of last year's freshmen returned to school. Last year, the number was 88.5%. The Minnesota state colleges and university system reported a 7% jump in enrollment this week. Nearly 200,000 students attend MNSCU schools.

The enrollment picture for Minnesota's private colleges is mixed. Some saw an increase in enrollment, others saw a decline. Taken as an average, officials say, the enrollment rate at Minnesota's private colleges remains about the same as last year. Tim post, Minnesota Public Radio News.

JOHN WANNAMAKER: Sales at Twin-Cities-based target stores have exceeded expectations. Sales at stores open at least one year were down 1.7% in September. Wall Street analysts had anticipated a larger 2% sales decline.

Same store sales measure is a key retail performance indicator. In September, many leading retailers had a slight sales increase or smaller than expected sales declines at stores open at least a year. Target, along with other retailers, says it is cautious about the fourth quarter, which includes Christmas.

A Packers fan has been charged with second-degree assault for allegedly stabbing a man after the Packers lost to the Vikings earlier this week. 30-year-old Ryan Hinderaker of Minneapolis allegedly stabbed the man outside the Leaning Tower of Pizza on South Lyndale Avenue after trying to start an argument about the game. Minneapolis Police Spokesperson Sergeant William Palmer says the incident is puzzling since the victim was a Seattle Seahawks fan.

In sports news, the Minnesota Twins will take on the New York Yankees tonight in game two of their best of five series tomorrow both teams looking for a win as the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's football team takes on the Purdue Boilermakers. This is Minnesota Public Radio News.

SPEAKER 2: Support for this program comes from Gertens in Inver Grove Heights. And their fall is for planting tree event, offering a reminder that there's still time for tree roots to establish before winter arrives. Gertens, it's only natural to buy from the grower.

SPEAKER 3: Programming is supported by our members and by Concordia college in Moorhead. And its Concordia language villages committed to global education, pre-kindergarten through college. More information at concordiacollege.edu.

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KERRI MILLER: This is Midmorning on Minnesota Public Radio. I'm Kari Miller. This hour, the top prize too soon.

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President Obama's alarm clock hadn't even gone off yet this morning when he got a wake up call from his press secretary telling him he'd won the Nobel Peace Prize. The announcement drew gasps in Oslo and mixed world and domestic reaction. The presidents of France, Great Britain, and Afghanistan all sent their congratulations, while former Polish President and Nobel Peace Laureate Lech Walesa said it was too soon.

President Obama is expected to share his own reaction in a statement from the White House later this morning. And we will go off to Washington to bring that to you live. We're going to explore reaction to the announcement as well, including from Minnesota Senator Al Franken, who's going to join us a bit later from Washington.

We'll talk about the stature of the peace prize, what it may mean for the president's domestic and international agenda. Later in the hour, we're going to talk with Republican Commentator and Associate Editor at the Weekly Standard, Matthew Continetti. We begin this morning, though, with Bernard Whitman, President of Whitman Insight Strategies and a Democratic strategist and pollster for former President Clinton. He's with us this morning from New York. And Bernard Whitman, good to have you here.

All right. We're going to try to reconnect with Bernard Whitman here in just a minute. Princeton political scientist Julian Zelizer is with us, and he joins us from Princeton. Julian, good to have you here.

JULIAN ZELIZER: Hi. Thanks for having me.

KERRI MILLER: And for our listeners, what do you think of the timing of this? Is it too soon in President Obama's tenure? And how do you think this might affect the president's agenda, both domestic and international?

The phone numbers here, 800-242-2828. If you're listening in the metro area, 651-227-6000. If you're online this morning, mprnewsqueue.org, click on Send Us a Question.

The timing of this Nobel Peace Prize for president Obama, is it too soon? How might it impact his domestic and international agendas? 651-227-6000, 800-242-2828, online mprnewsqueue.org. I think we've reconnected with Bernard Whitman. Mr. Whitman, are you there?

BERNARD WHITMAN: Yes, I am.

KERRI MILLER: Good to have you on the show this morning. Thanks very much for being with us. And I should say, you worked for a president, I assume would have loved to have had this prize, Bill Clinton. Were you surprised when you heard that this prize was being given nine months into President Obama's tenure?

BERNARD WHITMAN: I think it's an extraordinary honor, not only for the president, but also for the entire country. And to me, it says just how starved the global community has been for the last eight years for a president to work together to bring the international community together. And we are the world's one remaining superpower.

And I think what the world community needs, expect, and desires, and this is reflective of the honor that's bestowed upon the president of the country, is a leader in the White House that seeks to work collectively with the community of nations rather than go off unilaterally and try to go things alone. So I think it's really a great honor.

KERRI MILLER: You seem to be referring to the Bush administration there, this perception internationally among some other world leaders that the president's administration, Bush, was a unilateral administration.

BERNARD WHITMAN: Well, I think, it's quite clear. And the Nobel Peace Prize committee has made it plain over the last several years just how frustrated they were with the Bush administration's policy. I mean, this was made evident when they gave it to Carter in 2002 and I think also when they gave it to Gore.

But that's not to say that the committee awarded the honor to just put a black eye on George W. Bush. I mean, his administration has passed. And I think what this says is the welcome change that Obama has brought about in terms of tone, not yet in terms of substance, but in terms of tone is really a welcome change. And I think that it will help to embolden not only America, but give a catalyst to the world community to start coming together more to solve the problems that affect each one of us.

KERRI MILLER: Julian, is this really about aspiration and expectation rather than, as Bernhard Whitman tells us, actual substance, something we can point to that's actually been done so far?

JULIAN ZELIZER: Yeah, I mean, I do think this is in general about aspirations, about what can happen. If there's several reasons he won it, one, is the promise and the stand for international relations and taking such a strong stand during the campaign and rhetorically, at least in his first few months, is part of the reason for the award. Obviously, another aspect that's not talked about is the significance of the election of an African-American president of the United States. It's a kind of landmark in race relations, not just in the us, but globally that I think was quite important.

And finally, it is a rejection of the status quo. I mean, the prize committee has often taken stance, and I do think that's still part of the story. But the criticism will be this comes early. Woodrow Wilson got it later in his presidency toward the very end after he had fought tooth and nail to achieve some of these aspirations in terms of policy and treaties, whereas here it's very early in the presidency. We don't even know what he's going to do with Afghanistan at this point. And so I think the world is or the committee is almost giving him an invitation to make good on what they have just awarded him for.

KERRI MILLER: Julian, I thought Lech Walesa's reaction was interesting. He's a former president of Poland and a Peace Prize recipient. He told the Associated Press, "So soon, too early. He has no contribution so far. This is probably an encouragement for him to act. Let's see if he perseveres."

JULIAN ZELIZER: Well, I think, that's true. And, again, to go back to the comparison of Wilson, he was awarded in 1920, the prize after the League of Nations really was going down in defeat here in the United States. And there was a level of immense frustration with what had happened with his presidency and his inability to achieve his goals right as he was getting the award. So now, I think, many are hoping that's not the trajectory this president faces.

KERRI MILLER: Bernard Whitman, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, also a recipient, said, "It's an award coming near the beginning of the first term of office of a relatively young president that anticipates an even greater contribution towards making our world a safer place for all." These are high expectations that are being put on President Obama. He's got to be aware of that.

BERNARD WHITMAN: I absolutely agree. And I think that it suggests that the world community is both excited about the direction that Obama is taking this country, but also is recognizing that we will need, in fact, to make good on some of these first steps. I think that Obama's speech in Cairo reaching an olive branch out to the Muslim world was a great first step.

What he's been able to begin to do with respect to nuclear nonproliferation, I think his commitment to try to bring peace to Afghanistan, to pull out of Iraq, to engage in a more constructive dialogue with the Russians, I think, all of these he has made initial steps.

But the Nobel Prize committee is saying, A, we have great faith in you, B, we have great expectations, and C, we're going to do what we can to give you a little bit of a push in the right direction. And I just hasten to add from my perspective that Lech Walesa's comments probably have as much to do with Poland's frustration about our pulling out of that missile shield than it does with any substantive related to his getting the Peace Prize.

KERRI MILLER: Bernard Whitman, Julian Zelizer with us this morning as we talk about World and domestic reaction to the news this morning that President Barack Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. We're going to talk with Minnesota Senator Al Franken a bit later. And then Matthew Continetti, Associate Editor for the Weekly Standard, is going to join us a bit later.

We're also going live to Washington when the president makes his remarks about getting the news this morning. That's expected to happen around 9:30. When it does, you'll hear those remarks live.

I'm asking you and our listening audience this morning about your reaction to this. Does it seem like it comes too soon in the president's presidential tenure? How do you think it affects his domestic and international agenda? 800-242-2828, 651-227-6000, and give us your reaction at mprnewsqueue.org. Click on Send Us a Question to Derek in Eagan. Hi, Derek.

DEREK: Hi. Good morning, Kerri.

KERRI MILLER: Your thoughts on this.

DEREK: First of all, I wanted to say, the question too soon, I think, the minute he won the presidency, he should have gotten it. But I'm a little disappointed I wasn't on the list. I--

KERRI MILLER: [LAUGHS] Derek.

DEREK: Change of tone, I have changed my tone so dramatically recently that, I mean, you should really-- I really want peace. And so I'm surprised I wasn't in the running at least.

KERRI MILLER: So, Derek, sarcastically here, what are you really saying? That where's the beef, is that it?

DEREK: Exactly. I mean, we don't even know what's going to happen in Iran. I mean, that's a huge issue sitting out there that the president has to make a serious decision on, and these guys are throwing this thing to him. He hasn't done anything. He just has not done anything.

KERRI MILLER: Julian, how about that? That's a fair argument, isn't it?

JULIAN ZELIZER: Well, that's the argument you will hear. And that's the criticism this prize will open them up here to in the United States. I mean, it's inevitable. It comes a week after the Saturday Night Live skit.

And this for those who don't like him or who have problems with the presidency, this will play into those arguments. So this is a prize that will bring him a lot of international prestige. But I do think it will cause some political turbulence, so to speak, here in the States just for that exact argument. This goes back to the campaign, to the same kind of arguments that had been made against him by Clinton supporters and then McCain supporters, and here we go again.

KERRI MILLER: Julian, that's such a good point that some of the mockery that was going on by the Clinton camp at one point when they were opponents and then the McCain camp when he went to Berlin to give that speech, the adulation that the international community seems to have for him.

JULIAN ZELIZER: Exactly. And so this, I think, just it continues with that story. Obviously, now he is president, and he has a lot more ability to move forward on some of these issues and to put attention on bigger domestic problems.

But it will play into that argument. I mean, there's no way to escape it. I'm sure they realize the minute they receive this award.

KERRI MILLER: Julian, I know you have to go teach a class. Thanks so much for the time on short notice. We really appreciate it.

JULIAN ZELIZER: Thanks for having me.

KERRI MILLER: Julian Zelizer is a political scientist, teaches at Princeton joining us this morning from Princeton, New Jersey. Let me bring Minnesota Senator Al Franken into the conversation. Senator, thanks very much for joining us this morning.

AL FRANKEN: You're welcome, Kerri. Thanks for having me.

KERRI MILLER: You had to have been surprised when you heard the news today?

AL FRANKEN: I was. It never is on your radar-- what's the Nobel Prize-- who's going to win the Nobel Peace prize. And I went home and thought about it. And we are the indispensable nation, and how we behave does affect the world and everybody. And I think part of this is about that we have to remember where we came from.

KERRI MILLER: Meaning what?

AL FRANKEN: Well, we came from this unilateral, cowboy foreign policy when we're the indispensable power in the world and basically acted arrogantly. And there was this period where there was no real leadership in the world because the only leadership was us doing whatever we wanted-- abrogating treaties, not talking to people, starting war on a false premise. And so I think that in a way, this is a recognition of how much this has changed everything in the world in terms of diplomacy and how we approach things.

KERRI MILLER: Senator, the president has some big international decisions to make. He's trying to decide how many troops to send into Afghanistan. He's trying to deal with what's going on with the nuclear issue in Iran, the Middle East peace process. Do you think this has impact in any way, not on how he makes those decisions, but how they're received both domestically and internationally?

AL FRANKEN: Well, I think that it's good that his prestige has increased internationally. And in all of these, I mean, in we don't know what the results are going to be with the talks with Iran, but they are going to allow, I mean, their new nuclear facility is going to have inspectors in a couple of weeks. And they are coming to the table again.

KERRI MILLER: Mm-hmm.

AL FRANKEN: And they are going to-- they have agreed to ship most of their enriched uranium back to Russia under the supervision of the IAEA. So anyone who is saying, well, and we do have to see where that goes exactly and whether they do it. But I think that's already an accomplishment. Anyone who says, well, he hasn't done anything I don't think has really been looking very closely at the world stage.

KERRI MILLER: Let me ask Bernard Whitman the same question. Mr. Whitman, does this change, do you think, the way the world sees some of this decision making and how Americans may see some of these international decisions he has to make?

BERNARD WHITMAN: Well, frankly, I think it gives additional support both at home and abroad for the initiatives that Obama has undertaken. He's got an awful lot on his plate domestically, and it would be quite easy for a president to turn inwards and focus on our economy and the many challenges we have here at home. But as the Senator pointed out, he's operating in a number of different areas.

And at the same time, we're dealing with ending a war in Iraq, trying to bring stability into Afghanistan with perhaps a new approach there that relies more on winning over the hearts and minds and building up the communities and strengthening democracy and clearly, we have a ways to go, but also engaging himself very directly, as we saw last month in the Middle East peace process.

And I think it's a recognition that the international community wants and needs to give this president all the support possible because, look, America can't do it alone. But this president has made it very clear that he wants to reach out to the community of nations. He wants to reengage with the United Nations, which essentially had been shunted or even used as a tool by the previous administration.

And, I think, with the weight of the Nobel Peace Prize behind him, he may have just that much more ability to engage and put pressure on some of these various parties to come together and work towards various solutions. It's clearly not going to be easy. And certainly the prize is no panacea. But I think it is helpful and a step in the right direction.

KERRI MILLER: If you've just tuned in to Midmorning this morning, we're getting reaction from our guests and taking a look at some of the reaction worldwide and domestically here to the news this morning that President Barack Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Minnesota Senator Al Franken with us this morning. Bernard Whitman joins us, President of Whitman Insight Strategies. He's a Democratic strategist and pollster for former President Clinton.

We're also awaiting remarks by President Obama. We expected those at 9:30. We're hearing now that they have been pushed a bit later. When the president comes out to make those remarks, we'll go live to Washington so that you can hear them as well.

800-242-2828 to join us, 651-227-6000, if you're online, streaming us at work or at home this morning, you can join in mprnewsqueue.org. Click on Send Us a Question-- to Deborah in Minneapolis. Hi, Deborah.

DEBORAH: Hi.

KERRI MILLER: Your view of this?

DEBORAH: I wanted to just say, I'm a long-time listener, first time caller.

KERRI MILLER: Thank you.

DEBORAH: I heard it this morning at 4:00 AM. I was awakened by friends in New York, and I haven't been to sleep since. I think absolutely not, it's not too soon. It's amazing and fantastic.

And he deserves it for what he's done thus far just changing the climate. People think that's nothing, but you can feel it. You can feel it. It is tangible, and it's audacious.

They said he was too young to run for president, and he proved them wrong then. And he really deserves this. I think it's huge, and he deserves it.

KERRI MILLER: Deborah, thanks so much for the call. Appreciate it. Online here from Terry in Minneapolis, "I voted for Obama. I agree with some of his foreign policy agenda. However, it is too soon since he will likely escalate the war in Afghanistan."

To Susan in Big Lake. Hi, Susan. Thanks very much for waiting. Your thoughts about this? Hi, Susan. Are you there? Susan, I think, has her radio on. Susan.

SUSAN: Hello.

KERRI MILLER: Hi. Go ahead.

SUSAN: OK. My thought is in the sciences, you do not get the prize for being [AUDIO OUT]

KERRI MILLER: Oh-oh, now, poor Susan waited and the phone line cut out there. Senator Franken, how about the domestic agenda, does this have-- I mean, he's got a lot of things on his plate. You know that full well. Does the stature of this change this at all?

Senator? Oh-oh, we're having some phone line problems here. 800-242-2828 to join us this morning in the metro area-- 651-227-6000. I promise you, we are working on the phone issues.

Online at mprnewsqueue.org, click on Send Us a Question. Bernard Whitman. I'll ask that question of then. The domestic agenda, the health care, the financial reform, does it raise the stature and allow the president to have a little bit of extra oomph in trying to get his agenda through?

BERNARD WHITMAN: Well, frankly, on the domestic front, I think, it does provide, unfortunately, fodder to the right. And I think it is going to allow the Republicans to spin this for a few days and cloud the message that the president is trying to put forth about the need to deliver health care for this country and grapple with the nation's growing unemployment problem.

I mean, I was on Fox talking about this earlier this morning, and it's amazing to me that the Republicans can turn in honor, which is an honor not simply to the president, but to the entire country, turn an honor like receiving the Nobel Peace Prize into a negative. I mean, this is a recognition of America's contribution to the world, and somehow that's a bad thing.

It just, to me, underscores the fact that the Republican Party seems intent on trying to damage Obama politically and tear down this young president to wit their opposition to health care without providing real, meaningful solutions rather than helping to provide some new direction for the country as an alternative.

KERRI MILLER: I have to say, I have not-- I've been looking more at the world reaction to this. I have not seen Republican commentary where you're saying that they are turning this into a negative. What's been said?

BERNARD WHITMAN: Well and I can't speak directly from comments from elected officials. But certainly, on the talking head circuit, Republicans are coming out of the woodwork saying this is another example of the Oprah style rock star presidency of Obama. He's done nothing. He doesn't deserve it and using it as an opportunity to attack him personally instead of being at, I think at minimum cordial civil and recognizing that this is an honor that falls as much to the country as it does to the president personally.

KERRI MILLER: Mr. Whitman, are you able to stay with us through a news break?

BERNARD WHITMAN: Certainly.

KERRI MILLER: Great. Bernard Whitman continues with us, President of Whitman Insight Strategies, a Democratic strategist and pollster for former President Clinton. We're going to take a break for news just to let you know what's going on here.

We're awaiting remarks by President Barack Obama reacting to the news this morning that he has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. We're hearing that that's getting pushed later in the hour. When it happens, we'll go out live to Washington to bring you those remarks.

In the meantime, we're talking about World and domestic reaction. We're going to talk a bit about international reaction and what this may mean about all of the things that President Obama has on his international agenda. The Middle East peace talks, the negotiations going on with Iran hoping to get some momentum on that, the decisions that he has to make about Iraq and Afghanistan, that's our focus for the second half of the conversation here.

I'm also asking you what you think of the timing of this, how it may impact the president's international and domestic agenda. So we'll be right back with that. And I hope you'll stay tuned, and you'll join the conversation then. But first to the news.

SPEAKER 4: Support for this program comes from Vessels and Viewpoints, a ceramics and painting exhibition by Constance Mayeron and sculpture and photography by Fuller Cowles opening Friday at noon and running through the weekend near Taylors Falls, Minnesota. Information at communityhotline.com

SPEAKER 5: MPR News Queue covers Minnesota. From Moorhead to Duluth to Rochester to the Twin Cities, we have reporters around the state covering issues that matter to you. Bookmark mprnewsqueue.org, Minnesota's online source for news that matters.

JOHN WANNAMAKER: From Minnesota Public Radio News, I'm John Wanamaker. President Barack Obama is expected to comment shortly about the Nobel Peace Prize he won today. The White House says the president was awakened a little before 6:00 AM with the news, which took the administration by surprise. Former Polish President Lech Walesa, who won the prize back in 1983 himself, says it's too early to give it to Obama. He says Obama is only beginning to act.

The Commerce Department says the trade deficit declined 3.5% in August. Economists had expected it to rise. Exports of goods and services edged up, an encouraging sign for the global economy. But a decline in imports shows that domestic consumption is still weak.

Some DFL candidates for Minnesota governor worry that Democratic rival Matt Entenza will seek millions of dollars into the race. And tens have reportedly talked with seven of the potential DFL candidates for governor about a year ago. Some of those candidates had Entenza told them he'll spend, quote, "Whatever it takes to win."

Entenza's wife, Lois Quam, earned millions of dollars as an executive with UnitedHealth Group. She left that company in 2007. Entenza says he was only giving potential rivals an estimate of what he thought the race would cost if Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty ran for re-election. Valenti announced in June he will not seek a third term.

Police across the state will step up enforcement of Minnesota's new seatbelt law starting today. The fall Click It or Ticket campaign is the first since the state's new primary belt law went into effect. The law allows police to pull over drivers if anyone in the vehicle is unbelted.

Police could not stop cars solely for seatbelt violations until the new law took effect in June. A roadside observational survey by the state in August found more than 90% of drivers and passengers were buckled up. That is a 3% rise over 2008.

Golf and rugby have been approved as Olympic sports. The International Olympic Committee voted today to include both sports on the program for the 2016 and 2020 Summer Games. The time 9:31, this is Minnesota Public Radio News.

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KERRI MILLER: We're back on Midmorning on Minnesota Public Radio. I'm Kerri Miller awaiting remarks from President Barack Obama this morning on getting the news early this morning that he has received the Nobel Peace Prize. When that occurs, we'll go live to Washington to listen in to that.

For the rest of the hour here, we're examining with our guests the reaction from the world and domestically as well to this news. And we're bringing Stuart and Patrick into the conversation here, senior fellow and director Program on International Institutions and Global Governance at the Council on Foreign Relations. Mr. Patrick, thank you very much for being with us.

STEWART PATRICK: It's my great pleasure. One thing I should say, just in terms of my title, it's Institutions and Global Governance as opposed to government.

KERRI MILLER: Thank you. Thanks for that. We talked a moment ago about how this may affect some of what the president has to do internationally, these decisions on troops in Afghanistan, what he's going to do in Iraq with the negotiations with Iran, go down the list. Tell me how you think this may affect the reaction to what he decides in some of those arenas.

STEWART PATRICK: Well, I think that it's going to put additional pressure on the president to actually deliver on what many people around the world are seeing as a welcome sea change in US foreign policy and an increased emphasis on international cooperation and institutions and alliances. I should say that I think that the award is probably an uncomfortable one for the president, and it certainly is premature.

KERRI MILLER: How so uncomfortable?

STEWART PATRICK: Well, it's uncomfortable because it plays in, unfortunately, I think, into a narrative, particularly amongst conservative critics, that the president is great at giving speeches, and he's great at injecting a tone and a style. But I think that the White House, I think, is probably uncomfortable because I would have loved to have seen this happen two or three years from now after the president had established a track record.

KERRI MILLER: So you think the president is actually sensitive to the questions that will be asked, what's he done so far?

STEWART PATRICK: I think so. I think that this is a reasonably immature phase in the presidency. Now, I know that I actually spent six months at the Norwegian Nobel Institute back in the mid 1990s. And I understand why the committee chose him.

It's largely the committees made up of a group of Norwegian parliamentarians who often have idiosyncratic choices, but they tend to be Scandinavian. They love people who invest in international institutions. And I think that in some ways, if they could have given it to the American people for electing Barack Obama as opposed to George W. Bush, they might have done it. So that's where this is coming from. I think that one can imagine conservative critics in the United states, however, making hay over this because, again, of the lack of a strong track record yet as opposed to several years from now.

KERRI MILLER: I thought the reaction from the Iranian government was interesting. It was fairly supportive, not like we're hearing from some other governments and organizations around the country. That tell you anything, anything at all about how the relationship may be developing between Iran and the US?

STEWART PATRICK: I think that the president made his promise that an outstretched hand would be offered to an unclenched fist. And the jury is really still out on to how forthcoming the Iranians have been and whether or not they're willing to give up their pursuit of nuclear weapons in return for secure nuclear fuel supply. I think that it's promising that they came out with a reasonably supportive statement. And I think it again, it testifies to the general goodwill that the president has generated throughout the world.

On the other hand, I'm not sure that this sort of thing is going to help him when it's dealing with some really intractable issues. George Mitchell, the US envoy for the Middle east, recently said that anybody who thinks that the Middle East peace process is going to be rectified within the next few years is harboring some illusions. And I think that, again, in the past, one would have gotten a Nobel Peace Prize for, say, the Camp David Accords, like Jimmy Carter.

KERRI MILLER: That's actually what I was going to ask you is, do you-- the president himself might have expected that were there some serious progress in the Middle East that then he would be considered by the Nobel committee. I would imagine this puts additional pressure and expectations for that conflict as well on him.

STEWART PATRICK: I think it does. He now having been named a peacemaker, has to become one. And I think that it very much puts the onus on him, which again, I think, it builds up certain expectations and, again, leaves the sort of discrepancy between just-- and this is not a criticism of the president. He's just only been in the office for a few months, that the discrepancy between what he's done versus what, in a sense, he's already been awarded is undoubtedly an uncomfortable one.

KERRI MILLER: And let take a call here from Roger in Minneapolis. Hi, Roger. Thanks very much for waiting. Your reaction to the news this morning?

ROGER: Yeah, well, I'd like to second some of the comments that were made earlier about the reason that the committee chose him is to support the general direction of his approach and the change in the atmosphere of the world. I think the big thing is that Obama is suggesting that America cannot solve the world's problems. In fact, no single nation can solve the world's problems. And the fact that he is looking for a concerted approach, I think, is something that he's trying to support.

I also think there are a couple of reasons for the timing. One is, I think, that the Nobel committee realizes that the world does not have a lot of time to solve these problems. As bad as they are, they are extremely critical. And the second reason-- this may sound preposterous-- is maybe they're giving him an early prize because if he gets half of the things done that he wants to, they might want to give him a second prize.

KERRI MILLER: [Laughs] No. Bernard Whitman, is that really realistic? Wow.

BERNARD WHITMAN: I think that the Nobel Peace Prize is usually a one-shot deal.

KERRI MILLER: Yeah.

BERNARD WHITMAN: And I do I do agree that privately, I'm sure the president and his advisors are thinking, wow, this is going to create even more pressure and as we talked about before the break, provide a lot of fodder to those on the right to attack him for having failed to do anything yet. But I still do believe that this marks a clear sign from the international community that they want to encourage leadership.

And they want to both reward this president and this nation for taking a sharp turn away from what had been, I think, a very negative environment that the United States fostered with its unilateralism and a recognition that in the 21st century, we are connected, whether you're talking about famine, war, disease, climate change, any of these intractable problems that happen in one part of the world ultimately can affect another part.

And to be able to produce such a significant shift, not necessarily in specific actions on the ground and significant movement, whether it be in Middle East peace, nuclear nonproliferation or other matters, but rather to change the tone, it actually does mean a lot. And we'll have to see what the impact of it is going forward. And it also raises the question, if this suggests a different turn in approach that perhaps this committee will use in the future when considering who to reward with this prize.

KERRI MILLER: We have not talked about climate change. And the timing here is really interesting. You've both probably noted this.

The talks in Copenhagen begin on December 7th. The award is given in Oslo the 10th. You can see a scenario where there is also extra pressure on the president to come to Copenhagen with something very definitive on climate change, something that we know the Nobel committee, depending on which discipline they're giving out for, cares a lot about, that the European community cares a lot about.

STEWART PATRICK: That's absolutely true. I think that obviously in 2007, the Nobel committee gave the award to Al Gore and to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. And both of the last two comments from Roger and I think-- is it Bernard? both of those were extremely, I think, very eloquent.

The committee is trying to-- it recognizes that there is a huge agenda here coming up in the next year. We have Copenhagen in December. We've got the non-proliferation treaty review conference next spring. And then we've got the International Criminal Court review conference in the summer of next year. There's an enormous agenda here.

They want to reinforce US leadership in a multilateral direction. And I think that the award does testify to the vision of the Nobel committee that there is no effective international cooperation without firm American leadership. And I think it will be incumbent upon the president to say something when he's in Oslo about what's going to happen three days later in Copenhagen.

KERRI MILLER: Bernard Whitman, I thank you very much for the time this morning. I know you've got other things to do. And we really appreciate it on short notice as well.

BERNARD WHITMAN: Well, thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.

KERRI MILLER: Bernard Whitman, President of Whitman Insight Strategies, a Democratic strategist and pollster for former President Clinton. I'm going to bring Ted Widmer into our conversation here, senior fellow at the New America Foundation and Director of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University. Mr. Widmer, good, good to have you here.

TED WIDMER: Thank you. Thanks for inviting me.

KERRI MILLER: May I ask you for your thoughts on this climate change issue and the timing and what Mr. Patrick has just said about that. OK. Somehow we lost that connection as well. Mr. Widmer? All right, we'll try to get that back.

To the phones here, to Norris in Rainier. Hi, Norris. Thanks very much for waiting.

NORRIS: Hi. First, let me preface this. I didn't vote for Mr. Obama. I'm not a big fan. I really hope he can pull off what he said [AUDIO OUT].

KERRI MILLER: Norris, I'm sorry. Just as we go to you, your cell phone is cutting in and out. I think you were going to tell us that the Europeans seem to be pretty infatuated with the president, is that right?

NORRIS: Yeah.

KERRI MILLER: OK.

NORRIS: Basically, what has happened is [AUDIO OUT].

KERRI MILLER: All right. I'm sorry-- I'm sorry, Norris. I know you waited for a long time. I think I've got the essence of what you were going to say, and I'll put that to Stewart Patrick. Mr. Patrick. OK. We've lost--

STEWART PATRICK: All the Europeans are--

KERRI MILLER: I'm sorry. Go ahead.

STEWART PATRICK: --infatuated with Barack Obama. I think that from the perspective of not just the Scandinavians, but the Europeans generally, I think that they realize that in terms of how they're received, excuse me, what their relationship with the United States is, that it really doesn't get much better than having Barack Obama as president. On the other hand, there are a number of areas where there's a question as to whether or not the president can actually deliver. And one of those big ones is climate change.

They welcome the fact that the United States has re-engaged on the climate change front, but they also are uncomfortable with the fact that the president's own advisors have said, look, by the time we get to Copenhagen, we are not going to have everything locked and loaded on Capitol Hill. And so it's really going to restrict what we can promise at this big gathering where everyone is hoping for a breakthrough on climate issues. So I think-- and also I should say that on the question of Afghanistan, the US may be now getting cold feet in Afghanistan-- US public. But certainly, the European publics have had cold feet for a while.

And President Obama has said, look, if you want constructive American leadership, you too have to step up to the plate. And many of them, frankly, have not been willing to make the same sacrifices that Americans have had. So there are some frictions underneath this very happy surface.

KERRI MILLER: Mr. Patrick, I know you have to go. Thank you so much for the time. It was good to have your views this morning.

STEWART PATRICK: My pleasure. Thank you.

KERRI MILLER: Stewart Patrick, senior fellow and Director of the Program on International Institutions and Global Governance at the Council on Foreign Relations. Let me try to turn now to Ted Widmer, senior fellow at the New America Foundation, Director of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University. Mr. Widmer, are you there now.

TED WIDMER: Yes, I am. Can you hear me?

KERRI MILLER: Good to have you here. I was asking you about what we have been talking about when it comes to climate change, your views about the timing of this. and just to refresh our listeners memories here, the talks in Copenhagen on climate change start on December 7th. The award's given in Oslo December 10. There will be pressure on the president to say something about this And come with something in his pocket on it, won't there?

TED WIDMER: It's an interesting theory, and it may well be right, but I think it may be wrong also. They said in their news announcement that they were rewarding him for past achievements, not future ones. And I think they meant simply the change in tone that he brought to the very important office of the presidency. So we can overthink these things, too. I mean, we all hope for progress in climate change, but I'm not sure when they made this award many months ago, I mean, when they made the decision, they had this clearly in mind.

KERRI MILLER: OK. Do you think there are other arenas in which this will have a significant impact?

TED WIDMER: Well, I think about the Middle East. That was my first thought when I heard the news this morning. And this when Jimmy Carter, well, he failed to get the Nobel Peace Prize as president, but he was considered a strong candidate in 1978.

And I think the greatest act of peacemaking an American president could do in 2009 would be to start serious Camp David style peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis. So it may give him some momentum towards that. And God knows, that will be difficult. But still, this is an important vote of confidence for that process.

KERRI MILLER: Let me bring Matthew Continetti into our conversation, Republican commentator, Associate Editor at the Weekly Standard. Matthew, good to have you back on the program.

MATTHEW CONTINETTI: Thanks for having me.

KERRI MILLER: Did you hear what Mr. Widmer was saying about the Middle East and this Nobel Peace prize?

MATTHEW CONTINETTI: Sure.

KERRI MILLER: What do you think?

MATTHEW CONTINETTI: Well, I don't think it's going to have any real world impact. I mean, I was actually just speaking earlier with a correspondent from Al Jazeera. And he was saying, look, this has been awarded based on no real achievements. And it will be interesting to see how it translates into real-world negotiations.

I don't think it's-- Obama wasn't able to convince the international Olympics committee without the Peace Prize. I don't think he would have been able to do it with the Peace Prize. And I think other leaders, and including the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian authority, not to mention, of course, the Hamas group in Gaza, they're not going to factor the Peace Prize into their decision making.

KERRI MILLER: Mr. Widmer, what does it tell us about how the world is viewing the president, the presidency, and the president's agenda?

TED WIDMER: The world is extremely hopeful, as it should be, after eight years of failed American leadership. And no one thinks a prize will suddenly make peace happen, but nevertheless, it is a great vote of confidence in this administration. And I think it does focus the world's hopes on him in a way that, I mean, they already were, but even more so and gives him a leg up as he looks to the next year of his achievements.

KERRI MILLER: Matthew Continetti, you've heard that this is really the Nobel committee and some international leaders rejecting the Bush administration policies. Do you believe that's true?

MATTHEW CONTINETTI: Absolutely, I mean, this has been the pattern actually, since 2001. They gave it to Kofi Annan that year, former UN head. Then the next year, they gave it to Jimmy Carter in an explicit rebuke during the debate over the coming Iraq war. Then a few years ago, they gave it to former Vice President Gore, again, in an explicit rebuke to the Bush administration's climate change policy.

And now they're giving it once more because, of course, as they say in their statement, the committee even admits that President Obama hasn't actually done much to deserve this prize. He's given a lot of speeches. He's ordered the Guantanamo prison closed, even though it seems like the White House admits they might not be able to reach their self-imposed deadline on that next January. And he also got the Security Council a few weeks ago to agree on this resolution, calling for more-- rather, for less nuclear weapons.

But what they say is he changed the tone. I actually thought when I read that and I said, maybe they should have awarded it to the American people. After all, we did elect him. So we've done more to change the tone than he has in some ways. We are allowing him to change the tone.

KERRI MILLER: Ted Widmer, I know there's a little bit of facetiousness there. But does Matthew Continetti have a point?

TED WIDMER: Yes, he does. It came as a surprise to me. I mean, I think this was something we all might have looked for in year six or seven of an Obama administration, if we have that many years. It is early. And no one has ever been given a prize like this based on campaign promises. So it did come as a surprise.

KERRI MILLER: If you've just tuned in to Midmorning this morning, we're soliciting reaction today from a number of guests about the news that broke early this morning that President Barack Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. We're awaiting remarks from the president. At first, we heard that was going to happen at 9:30 our time. Now we are hearing that will happen at 10:00 our time.

When it does happen, we will go live to Washington so that you can listen in as well. In the meantime, we're talking with Ted Widmer, senior fellow at the New America Foundation, Director of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University. Matthew Continetti is with us, Republican commentator and Associate Editor at the Weekly Standard. Matthew, from Sarah online, "Although new policy hasn't passed, Obama truly has changed the mood of the globe. And that lays the foundation for peace. It's deserved."

MATTHEW CONTINETTI: Well, maybe we're going to find out. I've been thinking about it. I think the Bush administration really, in its first term in particular, tested the proposition, is it better to be feared than loved? And we saw that didn't really work out that well.

But I think now what the Obama administration is trying to do is say, test the proposition, is it better to be loved than feared? Well, it's worked out pretty well for Obama, and it's also worked out well for the United States. When you look at these polls, more people are appreciative of the president and of America what it's trying to do.

At the same time, not much has changed in reality. And North Korea still has nukes. Iran is still trying to obtain them. There is no peace in the Middle East. There is still a war in Afghanistan.

America still has troops in Iraq. So eventually one of these things has to give, either the international community says, hold it, there's no real change here or the American people say, well, we have Obama doing these things and getting all these laurels, but nothing really has changed. It's interesting to me to see which one of those things will change first.

KERRI MILLER: Ted Widmer, I think, that's an interesting point that, does appreciation in the world community make it easier for a president of the United States to pursue an agenda, or doesn't it, in the end, really matter?

TED WIDMER: I think it helps enormously. It's true that you can't just go forward with wishes and good hopes and no achievements. I mean, of course, we're all hoping for real achievements in the future. But there was a real feeling that almost anything George Bush said in the final few years of his presidency would be opposed by the rest of the world.

And we're way past that. And we're in a time of better negotiations. And Europe is on board. And that's important in everything the US is trying to do overseas. So, I think, it is an important announcement in just that it changes the tone and gives Obama even more momentum as he goes into very difficult challenges in the months ahead.

KERRI MILLER: Matthew, an interesting question here online from Amy in South Saint Paul. She says, "Doesn't the Nobel Prize winner get a big monetary prize? I've heard it's 1.4 million. If so, any speculation about what President Obama would do with the money?" It does come with a significant financial prize, doesn't it?

MATTHEW CONTINETTI: Most of the Nobel Prizes do come with a financial award. I don't know what it is in specifically. I'm sure the president, should he accept the prize, will give it to charity or something like that.

It's interesting to me two other American presidents have received the prize while in office. One was Theodore Roosevelt for negotiating the treaty, ending the Russo-Japanese war, and the other was Woodrow Wilson for the Versailles Conference and the idea of the 14 points and the idea of the League of Nations. There's no real comparison here, even, I mean, OK, Obama has changed the tone.

But when you think about all the challenges that still remain and that will continue to remain, I mean, Mr. Widmer mentioned the Europeans are more on our side on a lot of issues. Well, I look at Afghanistan where the Europeans really aren't committing more resources there. Granted, even our White House now is not sure whether more resources are necessary to win the war.

KERRI MILLER: Let me grab a quick call here from Chris in Minneapolis. Hi, Chris.

CHRIS: I totally agree that this award is almost to, like, it's to the American people. And I think it's because we've chosen a leader that engages with the world as a partner and equal rather than a scolding bully. If you read the Nobel announcement, it reads, he was given this for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between people. People who say he hasn't achieved anything simply aren't paying attention. Efforts to normalize relations with the Middle East, breathing new life into the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, joining the international effort--

KERRI MILLER: Chris, I think, we have the details of what the Nobel committee said, but your point is a good one. You agree, this is in some ways saying to the American people, you had the wisdom to elect somebody who is interested in engaging with the international community.

CHRIS: He's actively working to resolve these issues, yes.

KERRI MILLER: Ted Widmer, how does the president talk about that, do you think, because, I mean, how that could potentially sound?

TED WIDMER: I'm not sure he would disagree with a lot of what we're saying. I think he's probably a little embarrassed to have received it so, so soon.

KERRI MILLER: You think he's embarrassed?

TED WIDMER: Well, I mean, maybe that's not the right word, but it just surprised. We're all surprised. And I think he would be fine with giving the prize to the American people. But I think all of us on either side of the political spectrum can take great pride in an award to the United States.

And it's an affirmation of what was once a very important tradition in the world, the tradition of the president of the US brokering peace far from America's shores. And whether it's Woodrow Wilson in Paris or Franklin Roosevelt, the main force behind the UN, or Jimmy Carter in his Middle East negotiations, who didn't receive it at that point, nevertheless, it's something very important for the world. And I think we should focus on the better side of this and not nitpick it too much.

KERRI MILLER: Matthew, what do you think it did for Al Gore?

MATTHEW CONTINETTI: Well, I think for Al gore, you mean getting the prize a few years ago or Obama winning the prize?

KERRI MILLER: No, I mean Al Gore had established his credentials before he was awarded the prize. I'm just wondering how it changed things for him, if anything, your ideas about that.

MATTHEW CONTINETTI: Well, it probably raised his lecture fees, but I'm not sure otherwise.

KERRI MILLER: Other than that.

MATTHEW CONTINETTI: I do have to say, though, if one person is probably upset at this decision, it's got to be William Jefferson Clinton, who has done everything according to the plan. You have two successful terms as president, leave on a high mark of popularity, and then spend the past eight years, almost nine years now creating this post-presidential portfolio of philanthropy, the Clinton Global Initiative, being special envoys for Haiti and other places for the UN.

And then when the Nobel Peace Prize is handed out, it goes to the guy that, of course, you opposed in the primaries and has only been president for nine months and doesn't have much to his name. If I were president Clinton, I'd be a little upset.

KERRI MILLER: Ted Widmer, I had the exact same thought this morning when I heard this. This must be, well, Clinton must be spitting nails. Of course, he's going to be gracious publicly. But in some ways, this has got to be somewhat of a bitter pill, yes or no?

TED WIDMER: Even if I worked for him, I have no insight into this psychological question. It's possible. It's true.

But I saw them on stage together two weeks ago at the Clinton Global Initiative, and they were extremely friendly and supporting each other's causes. So I would imagine more of that in public. I don't know what's happening in private.

KERRI MILLER: Really, really good to talk with you both. Thanks so much for the time. We've called you on short notice, and we really appreciate it. Thank you.

BOTH: Thank you.

KERRI MILLER: Matthew Continetti with us this morning. He's an Associate Editor at the Weekly Standard. And we were talking with Ted Widmer, senior fellow at the New America Foundation, Director of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University.

We are awaiting remarks from President Barack Obama. He's had to scramble a bit this morning. Got the news, we are told, from a phone call while he was still asleep from his press secretary, woke him up, told him that he had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

And so we're awaiting the president's remarks. He's had a couple of hours now to try to get a speech together. And he's going to make that, we are now told, at 10 o'clock. When he does, we will go live to Washington, DC to listen in on that.

And after that, at 10:00, we have a conversation planned with author Nicholson Baker. He's in the studio to talk about his new novel, which some people perceive as his writing as kind of life in miniature. Baker says he wants his books to be about the things you don't notice when you're noticing them. Why? We're going to talk about that and how that fits in to this new novel, The Anthologist. So after we listen to President Barack Obama react to the news this morning, and then we will begin a conversation with writer Nicholson Baker.

By the way, if you're a member of the Kerry Miller Book Club, I hope you're joining me tonight here at the UBS Forum for a discussion with Diane Ackerman. Special book club event, open only to members of the book club. If you want to join, I'd love to have you in the club. Details on the Midmorning book page. This is Midmorning.