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5:54	A consensus has quickly been reached: The New York Times calls this a "stunning suprise." The Wall Street Journal says it's a "stunning choice." The Los Angeles Times says it's a "surprise choice."

5:57

Reuters reports that:

The chief Palestinian peace negotiator, Saeb Erekat, welcomed the award to Obama.

"We hope that he will be able to achieve peace in the Middle East and achieve Israeli withdrawal to 1967 borders and establish an independent Palestinian state on 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital," he told Reuters.

In Gaza, however, an Islamic Jihad leader, Khaled Al-Batsh, condemned the Nobel committee decision. "Obama's

winning the peace prize shows these prizes are political, not governed by the principles of credibility, values and morals," he told Reuters.

6:02

The BBC's Paul Reynolds writes that:

The award is certainly unexpected and might be regarded as more of an encouragement for intentions than a reward for achievements.

After all, the president has been in office for a little over eight months and he might hope to serve eight years. His ambition for a world free of nuclear weapons is one that is easier to declare than to achieve and a climate control agreement has yet to be reached.

6:06	Much of the political blogosphere doesn't appear to have woken up yet. No reactions yet at Hot Air, Townhall, Huffington Post or Talking Points Memo. They will likely be all over the news shortly, though.

6:07	Also still yet to comment: Drudge.

6:09	The conservative Wizbang blog, though, is on top of things: In what has to be one of the most dramatic examples of the global elitist genuflection and obsequiousness before the presence of The One, it was announced today the President Barrack Obama has been awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

6:14	Twitter, as you might imagine, is lighting up. Three of the top "trending topics" right now are "President Obama", "US President Obama", and "Barack Obama wins". A sample tweet: abena_serwaa: President Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize??? Interesting. Congratulations are in order I guess.

6:14	[Comment From ken] Isn't it a bit awkward going forward now. Having just signaled a deadline to Iran about weapons inspections and having to deliberate about a troop build-up in Afganistan... How does a Nobel Peace Prize winner at once wage and threaten war?

6:16	On Morning Edition a moment ago, NPR's Steve Inskeep said it's hard not to think the Nobel Committee was making a political statement, and NPR's Rob Gifford agreed -- saying it will be seen as a slap in the face to the George W. Bush administration.

6:21

The opinion writers at The Wall Street Journal should always be watched for what the conservative side of the political spectrum is thinking. Here's the first reaction from Iain Martin at the Journal's On Politics blog:

This is completely bizarre. President Barack Obama has just won the nobel peace prize. It is unclear why. For making peace, of a kind, with Hillary Clinton? For giving up the missile shield and cheering up the Iranians? For preparing a surge of troops and weaponry in Afghanistan?

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