Rumsfeld: Obama didn't merit Nobel Prize

President Obama didn't deserve his Nobel Peace Prize, Donald Rumsfeld charged Sunday. 

The prickly former Defense secretary said the prize was misdirected because Obama "had not accomplished a thing" when the honor was bestowed just nine months after he'd taken office.  

"It was given to him on hope — had to have been, 'cause there wasn't anything that he'd done," Rumsfeld told Candy Crowley on CNN's "State of the Union." "He'd been in office 15 minutes."

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the coveted Peace Prize to Obama in October 2009, citing his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

He was the third sitting president to receive the honor. 

Rumsfeld also disputed the notion that America's image overseas has improved with Obama in the White House.

"I don't think there's data that supports that," Rumsfeld said. "I think he had made a practice of trying to apologize for America. I personally am proud of America."

Crowley prodded further. "The streets aren't full of people burning him in effigy," she said. 

"I could be wrong," Rumsfeld responded, "but I honestly don't think it's correct."