First, Obama gets a Nobel Peace Prize for nothing; Now, a tae kwan do black belt after 0 kicks

LA Times ^ | Nov. 19, 2009 | Andrew Malcolm

[Second Amendment First]

Even President Obama himself during his just-concluded trip to Asia admitted that he was surprised to receive the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this year without actually producing any peace.

In fact, the rookie American president ordered his own troop surge, boosting U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan to 68,000. Now, the Democrat may be preparing to send more again. And a Gallup Poll showed 61% of Americans didn't think he deserved it either.

Anyway, there he was in Seoul, South Korea on the last stop of his journey.

And out of the Seoul sky, President Lee Myung-bak hands over to the American leader a tae kwan do outfit. And then Lee, who practices tae kwan do himself, presents Obama with a coveted black belt.

After 0 long years of study.

What would Chuck Norris do? Probably bow. But never as low as Obama bowed for Japan's Emperor last weekend in Tokyo.

-- Andrew Malcolm Those who click here get Twitter alerts of each new Ticket item. Or follow us @latimestot. And we're also over here on Facebook.

Photo: EPA

[Darkwolf377]

Aren't beginners supposed to get a white belt?

Uh oh...

(That's racist!)

[himno hero]

I hear the janitor at Mensa has put his name forward.

[colinhester]

I wonder when he is going to award himself the Medal of Honor??

That comment was way below the (black) belt

[Tennessee Nana]

I’m left handed and I aint apologizing to anyone...

My Mom turned her right handed knitting around and knitted backwards to teach me to knit..

and made other adjustments for her only left handed child...

What did Stan Ann do for her challenged son ???

Oh, thats right, she was busy in the jungles of the world, teaching other womens children how to get funds from American taxpayers...

[stevio]

My money would be on you guys.

[Hodar]

After 25+ years in the combat/martial arts, I wouldn’t mind stepping into the ring with this “black belt.”

I"m just an overweight, lowly Brown belt in Tae Kwon Do (Chung Do Kwan) - but I'd pay money to watch you and Pres. Zero in a full contact match.

[thethirddegree]

I respectfully disagree. Nothing that this usurper has or does will diminish your hard work and accomplishment.

[thethirddegree]

I have seen him sign his name at signing ceremonies; he is left handed.

[Liberty Valance]

Left-Handed U.S. Presidents

James A. Garfield (1831-1881) 20th
Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) 31st
Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) 33rd
Gerald Ford (1913- ) 38th
Ronald Reagan (1911 - ) 40th
George H.W. Bush (1924- ) 41st
Bill Clinton (1946- ) 42nd
Barack Obama (1961- ) 44th

[MrB]

Imagine this conversation:

George Bush: “I was president.”
Bystander: “So what? So was 0bama.”

[brownsfan]

Wow. I haven’t seen that one.
He looks like he’s giggling like a school girl, and hiding behind Chewbacca.

Chewbacca seems stoked and ready for battle.

[Hodar]

then he won election to the house because his opponent dropped out of the race

Not 100% correct. His opponent was disqualified because Obama's folks challenged enough of the signatures on the petition his oponent had filed; in order to be elgible to be on the ballot. Obama's folks had enough signatures removed, to make his opponent inelgible to run.

I believe Obama said something along the order of " It was better to remove a bad candidate, than to take the chance that the public would make the wrong decision."

[paulycy]

After 25+ years in the combat/martial arts, I wouldn’t mind stepping into the ring with this “black belt.”

Sell tickets. Please sell tickets! (Promoting capitalism while kicking marxism's butt. I like that!)

[ctdonath2]

At some point some very powerful people will expect him to actually perform.
Favors get called in.

[Jeff Head]

HIS BLACK BLET, LIKE IS PEACE PRIZE, IS MEANINGLESS

[Jeff Head]

HIS BLACK BELT, LIKE HIS PEACE PRIZE, IS MEANINGLESS

[Carley]

Belts for bows.

[Izzy Dunne]

Is that pic for real?

What a girly-man!

[Verginius Rufus]

Did something get in the water? Only 2 of the first 30 Presidents were lefthanded (I refuse to count Grover Cleveland as two Presidents), but 6 of the last 12.

I have nothing against lefties, and only two of the recent left-handed Presidents were/are bad Presidents.

[DannyTN]

It was probably awarded for being a “stealth” candidate, given the secrecy surrounding his records and evidence of eligibility.