Obama: Surprised, humbled by Nobel

WASHINGTON (AP) - A beaming President Barack Obama said Friday he was both honored and humbled to win the Nobel Peace Prize and would accept it as a "call to action" to work with other nations to solve the world's most pressing problems.

Obama told reporters in the White House Rose Garden that he wasn't sure he had done enough to earn the award, or deserved to be in the company of the "transformative figures" who had won it before him.

But, he said, "I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations to confront the challenges of the 21st century."

Obama will travel to Oslo, Norway, in December to accept the award.

Obama, 48, is the third U.S. president to win the prize while in office, after Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Former President Jimmy Carter won the prize in 2002, more than two decades after he left office.

In its surprise choice, the Norwegian Nobel Committee cited the president's creation of a "new climate in international politics" and his work on nuclear disarmament, even though he is just nine months into his presidency.

"These challenges cannot be met by any one leader or any one nation," the president said. "That's why my administration wants to establish a new era of engagement in which all nations must take responsibility for the world we seek."

Obama acknowledged that, while accepting an award for peace, he was commander in chief of a country engaged in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We have to confront the world as we know it," he said.

He said he was working to end the war in Iraq and "to confront a ruthless adversary that directly threatens the American people and our allies" in Afghanistan.

"I'm also aware that we are dealing with the impact of a global economic crisis that has left millions of Americans looking for work," he said.

"This award must be shared by everyone who strives for justice and dignity," he added.

He said that some of his goals, including that of a nuclear-weapons-free world, might not be accomplished in his lifetime.

"I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee," Obama said.

"Let me be clear, I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations."

Obama said he was aware that "throughout history, the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement, it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes."

The award took the Obama and his staff by surprise. Press secretary Robert Gibbs learned from reporters that Obama had won the 2009 prize, and telephoned the White House early Friday to pass along the news to his boss.

"Well, this is not how I expected to wake up this morning," Obama said. He described his interaction with his two daughters.

"After I received the news, Malia walked in and said, 'Daddy, you won the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is Bo's birthday.' And then Sasha added, 'Plus, we have a three-day weekend coming up.' So it's — it's good to have kids to keep things in perspective."

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Some U.S. reaction to President Barack Obama's win of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday:

"I congratulate President Obama on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize today. It is a bold statement of international support for his vision and commitment to peace and harmony in international relations. It shows the hope his administration represents not only to our nation but to people around the world." — Former President Jimmy Carter.

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"I think it's extremely well deserved. ... I think it will take some time before people put together all the different moves that linked his speech at the UN on the abolishing of nuclear weapons, his shift on the missile defense program in Eastern Europe and the movement of Russia to joining the international consensus that confronted Iran to abide by the nonproliferation treaty." — Former Vice President Al Gore.

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"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." — Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele.

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"Under any circumstance an appropriate response is to say congratulations." — Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn.

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"It validates the president's approach to tough transnational challenges such as global warming and the spread of nuclear arms. And it celebrates his steady efforts to improve America's standing around the world." — Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

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"The Nobel Committee's decision to award this year's Peace Prize to President Obama is an affirmation of the fact that the United States has returned to its long-standing role as a world leader." — Gov. Tim Kaine, D-Va., the Democratic National Committee chairman.

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"Climate change is perhaps the best example of what the Nobel Committee described as President Obama's recognition of 'global responsibility for global challenges.' ... It is clear that President Obama's elevation of the environment to the highest levels of diplomacy has helped to solidify a shared understanding that no nation can escape the impact of climate change." — Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md.