Mark Salter, a long-time adviser, speechwriter and confidant for Sen. John McCain, today voiced one of the stronger criticisms of the Nobel committee's award of its Peace Prize to President Obama, calling the decision "morally indefensible." Here is Salter's statement in its entirety. He provided it to me over e-mail:

"I think it was morally indefensible of the Nobel Committee to give it to the President.  I don't mean that as a criticism of the President.  I'm sure the White House is as surprised as anyone and would concede there are many other worthier recipients.  Imagine if they had given it posthumously to the Neda Salanti, the young woman who was murdered for protesting the fraudulent elections in Iran.  It would have encouraged the democratic opposition there by bringing renewed international attention to their struggle.  It would have given immediate and practical assistance to the cause of human dignity.  No President's statecraft, whether you agree with its direction or not, can be expected to bear fruit in less than nine months.  I think the morally correct and politically shrewd response from the White House would have been to refuse the honor."

-- Jon Ward, White House reporter, The Washington Times

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