A_ZZ1 Nobel_NP1 for_IF Obama_NP1 The_AT decision_NN1 of_IO the_AT Norwegians_NN2 to_TO award_VVI the_AT Nobel_NP1 Prize_NN1 for_IF Peace_NN1 to_II President_NNB Obama_NP1 is_VBZ not_XX going_VVGK to_TO be_VBI met_VVN with_IW sneering_VVG in_II these_DD2 quarters_NN2 ._. 
For_IF all_DB that_CST we_PPIS2 disagree_VV0 with_IW the_AT president_NN1 in_II31 respect_II32 of_II33 policy_NN1 ,_, Mr._NNB Obama_NP1 has_VHZ clearly_RR inspired_VVN not_XX only_RR a_AT1 huge_JJ number_NN1 of_IO Americans_NN2 but_CCB also_RR a_AT1 huge_JJ number_NN1 of_IO Europeans_NN2 ._. 
That_DD1 act_NN1 of_IO inspiration_NN1 --_NN1 rather_II21 than_II22 the_AT gaining_NN1 of_IO peace_NN1 ,_, or_CC even_RR participation_NN1 in_II a_AT1 peace_NN1 process_NN1 ,_, such_II21 as_II22 won_VVD the_AT prize_NN1 for_IF ,_, say_VV0 ,_, Yasser_NP1 Arafat_NP1 --_NN1 is_VBZ achievement_NN1 enough_RR for_IF the_AT Nobel_NP1 committee_NN1 ,_, and_CC we_PPIS2 're_VBR not_XX going_VVGK to_TO gainsay_VVI it_PPH1 ._. 
But_CCB we_PPIS2 are_VBR going_VVGK to_TO take_VVI the_AT occasion_NN1 to_TO say_VVI ,_, yet_RR again_RT ,_, that_CST our_APPGE candidate_NN1 for_IF the_AT prize_NN1 still_RR is_VBZ GI_NN1 Joe_NP1 ._. 
The_AT editors_NN2 who_PNQS conduct_VV0 these_DD2 columns_NN2 have_VH0 been_VBN making_VVG this_DD1 point_NN1 since_CS the_AT 1990s_MC2 ,_, when_CS it_PPH1 became_VVD clear_JJ that_CST in_II the_AT modern_JJ age_NN1 the_AT role_NN1 of_IO the_AT American_JJ GI_NN1 had_VHD become_VVN ,_, in_II its_APPGE profoundest_JJT sense_NN1 ,_, that_DD1 of_IO a_AT1 maker_NN1 not_XX of_IO war_NN1 but_CCB of_IO peace_NN1 ._. 
Everywhere_RL GI_NN1 Joe_NP1 --_NN1 and_CC GI_NN1 Jane_NP1 --_NN1 have_VH0 gone_VVN ,_, it_PPH1 has_VHZ been_VBN with_IW a_AT1 noble_JJ mission_NN1 ,_, whether_CSW it_PPH1 be_VBI blunting_VVG an_AT1 invasion_NN1 ,_, as_CSA happened_VVN in_II the_AT Gulf_NP1 War_NN1 ,_, or_CC stopping_VVG a_AT1 genocide_NN1 ,_, as_CSA happened_VVN in_II the_AT Balkans_NP1 ,_, or_CC protecting_VVG the_AT accession_NN1 of_IO democracies_NN2 ,_, as_CSA happened_VVN in_II German_NN1 ,_, Japan_NP1 ,_, Korea_NP1 ,_, the_AT Philippines_NP2 ,_, and_CC free_JJ China_NP1 ,_, to_TO name_VVI but_CCB a_AT1 few_DA2 of_IO the_AT places_NN2 where_RRQ ,_, while_CS the_AT rest_NN1 of_IO America_NP1 and_CC the_AT world_NN1 was_VBDZ abed_RL ,_, our_APPGE GIs_NN2 have_VH0 put_VVN their_APPGE lives_NN2 on_II the_AT line_NN1 for_IF peace_NN1 ._. 
We_PPIS2 were_VBDR first_MD put_VVN in_II mind_NN1 of_IO this_DD1 idea_NN1 in_II a_AT1 now-famous_JJ essay_NN1 by_II a_AT1 professor_NN1 at_II Rutgers_NP1 ,_, Neil_NP1 Kressel_NP1 ._. 
It_PPH1 first_MD appeared_VVD in_II the_AT Forward_NN1 and_CC was_VBDZ widely_RR reprinted_VVN ._. 
It_PPH1 has_VHZ been_VBN followed_VVN by_II editorials_NN2 in_II the_AT Forward_NN1 and_CC ,_, more_RGR recently_RR ,_, the_AT Sun_NN1 ,_, such_II21 as_II22 "_" The_AT Next_MD Nobel_NP1 "_" and_CC "_" A_ZZ1 Nobel_NP1 Prize_NN1 for_IF G.I._NN1 Joe_NP1 "_" ._. 
Early_JJ word_NN1 has_VHZ it_PPH1 that_CST Mr._NNB Obama_NP1 is_VBZ going_VVGK to_TO say_VVI that_CST this_DD1 is_VBZ an_AT1 award_NN1 for_IF the_AT American_JJ people_NN and_CC the_AT American_JJ spirit_NN1 ,_, and_CC for_IF him_PPHO1 to_TO say_VVI such_DA a_AT1 thing_NN1 is_VBZ n't_XX entirely_RR off_II the_AT mark_NN1 ._. 
But_CCB the_AT embodiment_NN1 of_IO that_DD1 spirit_NN1 that_CST involves_VVZ the_AT greatest_JJT personal_JJ risk_NN1 ,_, the_AT greatest_JJT personal_JJ commitment_NN1 ,_, in_II our_APPGE generation_NN1 has_VHZ been_VBN that_CST exhibited_VVD by_II the_AT men_NN2 and_CC women_NN2 of_IO the_AT uniformed_JJ services_NN2 who_PNQS are_VBR out_RP there_RL every_AT1 day_NNT1 in_II the_AT face_NN1 of_IO determined_JJ and_CC often_RR barbaric_JJ enemies_NN2 ,_, and_CC it_PPH1 would_VM be_VBI nice_JJ to_TO see_VVI the_AT Norwegians_NN2 ,_, whose_DDQGE own_DA freedom_NN1 was_VBDZ bought_VVN with_IW American_JJ blood_NN1 ,_, give_VV0 GI_NN1 Joe_NP1 his_APPGE due_JJ ._. 
Behind_II his_APPGE plan_NN1 ,_, Rokita_NP1 ,_, who_PNQS shepherded_VVD the_AT venal_JJ Voter_NN1 ID_NN1 law_NN1 ,_, seemed_VVD to_TO serve_VVI notice_NN1 that_CST the_AT Indiana_NP1 Republican_NN1 Party_NN1 is_VBZ embarked_VVN upon_II an_AT1 effort_NN1 to_TO systematically_RR reduce_VVI the_AT number_NN1 of_IO African-American_JJ Indiana_NP1 legislators_NN2 and_CC to_TO imperil_VVI Congressman_NN1 Andre_NP1 Carson_NP1 ._. 
Redrawing_VVG districts_NN2 used_VMK to_TO be_VBI a_AT1 complicated_JJ ,_, cumbersome_JJ process_NN1 ,_, controlled_VVD fully_RR by_II the_AT political_JJ bosses_NN2 in_II smoke_NN1 filled_VVD rooms_NN2 laced_VVN with_IW liquor_NN1 ._. 
Then_RT in_II the_AT 1980s_MC2 ,_, the_AT personal_JJ computer_NN1 and_CC sophisticated_JJ mapping_NN1 and_CC GIS_NN2 programs_NN2 made_VVD the_AT process_NN1 easier_RRR and_CC more_RGR transparent_JJ ._. 
Today_RT 's_GE computers_NN2 make_VV0 it_PPH1 easier_JJR to_TO draw_VVI districts_NN2 equal_JJ in_II population_NN1 ._. 
But_CCB considerations_NN2 of_IO race_NN1 ,_, geography_NN1 ,_, communities_NN2 of_IO interest_NN1 and_CC politics_NN1 have_VH0 led_VVN to_II districts_NN2 with_IW those_DD2 bizarre_JJ shapes_NN2 that_CST everyone_PN1 dislikes_VVZ ._. 
