HONOLULU — The selection of President Obama as the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner is being lauded by Democrats in his home state of Hawaii.

Hawaii Democratic chairman Brian Schatz, who headed Obama’s presidential campaign in the state, called it “an honor for the president and for our country.”
“For those of us in Hawaii, who know that Barack Obama’s roots are what led to his dreams and vision, we can be doubly proud,” he said Friday.
But state Republican Party chairman Jonah Kaauwai was contemptuous of Obama winning the prize.
“President Obama’s star power continues to earn him praise without merit,” Kaauwai said. “What significant shift has taken place on the international front since he has taken office?”
“American leaders such as (Republican) President Ronald Reagan, who ushered America to the end of the Cold War, were not honored for their actual achievements, while President Obama, nominated after only two weeks in office, was recognized for his rhetoric by a committee of star-struck Norwegians,” Kaauwai said.
Kaauwai ended his statement — titled “What’s Next? The Oscar?” — by saying: “One can only hope that the prize will someday regain its credibility.”