Congratulations to President Obama on his receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize (Rep. Bobby Rush)

I agree with the sentiments expressed by these world leaders who said, “Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future.  His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world’s population."

As someone who has watched the remarkable rise of our President, today’s tribute, which puts him in the category of former U.S. Presidents and the late civil rights martyr Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., should serve as a shining example for our young people, especially Chicago’s young people, that hard work, perseverance and an abiding faith in God can lead to great things.

This is a remarkable day for Chicago, a great day for America and, indeed, an historic day for the world.

My hope and prayer is that this President will step into the shadow of the steps of wisdom and peace that this award represents and continue to wisely and safely ascend those stairs, on behalf of the U.S. and the world community, by helping to make the world a safer, more peaceful and prosperous place than the one he inherited on January 20th.