Ron Edmonds / AP Photo
Only a few short hours after the announcement that Barack Obama had won the Nobel Peace Prize, prominent conservatives had begun to criticize the decision. In an email to Politico, Radio host Rush Limbaugh compared the award to last week's International Olympic Committee vote, where Chicago was dropped from the ballot after the first round despite an in-person plea from the President. Limbaugh also said that the award "fully exposes the illusion that is Barack Obama" and was a message from "the elites of the world" encouraging Obama "to basically continue his intentions to emasculate the United States." Michael Steele, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, was less vociferous, though no less harsh, saying "President Obama won't be winning any awards from Americans for job creation, fiscal responsibility, or backing up rhetoric with concrete action."