Constitution? Never heard of it.

[armedandsafe]

This is interesting.

Obama's Nobel Prize - is it unconstitutional?
Jim Brown - OneNewsNow - 12/14/2009 7:35:00 AM

A constitutional scholar says President Obama's acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize may be a violation of the U.S. Constitution because he received the award without the consent of Congress.

Last Thursday, Barack Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize Oslo, Norway. He is the third sitting president, after Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt, to win the award. While controversy swirled around the award being granted to a wartime president, Matthew Spalding with The Heritage Foundation is concerned about the constitutionality of Obama's acceptance of the Nobel Prize.

A clause in Article I, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution states: "No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office or Trust under them, shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign state." That raises a question: Is the Nobel Peace Prize an "Emolument" -- a gift arising from one's office which includes some sort of monetary award with it?

Spalding, director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies at The Heritage Foundation, says since the award is technically the property of the United States, Obama has under 60 days to turn the award over to the appropriate authorities for proper disposal.

"The Commission, the group that gives out the Nobel Prize, is actually appointed by the Parliament of Norway, which is [to] say that it's connected with a foreign state. This makes it very interesting," the Heritage scholar notes. "In 1993, President Clinton's own Office of Legal Counsel said that it didn't have to be a foreign state acting in a formal way, but could be, rather, indirect. [This] seems to be a perfect example of what the Nobel Prize is -- and the Founders put this clause in the Constitution precisely to make sure that foreign states didn't unwarrantedly influence American domestic politics."

Spalding believes the Nobel Prize Commission intended to give the award to a president who had not yet accomplished anything, in hopes of encouraging him to do certain things in the future. Interestingly Nobel committee chairman Thorbjorn Jagland has defended the choice of Obama, saying the prize should be an "instrument for peace rather than [a] stamp of approval."


News reports indicate the president intends that the $1.4 million accompanying the Nobel will go to charities that are as yet unidentified.

Pops

[Marlin T]

Obama has under 60 days to turn the award over to the appropriate authorities for proper disposal.

I had brief visions of it being burned as Obomba watched with tears in his eyes. LOL

That is quite the interesting article Pops. I'll have to read it a couple of more times before anything else.

Thanks for reposting that.

[Blackhawk Dave]

Previous awards have ended up in museums (Smithsonian, etc). All funds have to be turned over to the Treasury. Don't think (that's scary - thinking) he can mandate the disposition of the funds.

[GMFWoodchuck]

The prize isn't a Nobel prize as in the Nobles of a royal family. It's the Nobel peace prize named after some guy's last name.

Nobel verus noble. Two different words. Two different spellings. And the intent of gaining power of leadership or interest in another country isn't there. Or another country gaining interest here for that matter.

I don't like the Nobel peace prize going to Obama either, but jeez. You guys are really reaching here.

[Trouble 45-70]

I can't see this Congress denying Obama the prize.

[armedandsafe]

I don't like the Nobel peace prize going to Obama either, but jeez. You guys are really reaching here.

Reaching? Because somebody is investigating whether the action is contrary to our Constitution? Oh, that's right. I forgot. We must never question the actions of the Hussein. Past precedence, history, written law, set procedures? Nah, we don't need to pay any attention to that stuff.

SHeeeese!

Pops