Obama’s State of the Union Speech

Tuesday night, President Obama began his third State of the Union by welcoming home troops from Iraq and saying that money that went to the war effort should be split between paying down the debt and “nation-building right here at home.” The president outlined plans for creating jobs in America, emphasizing "insourcing" and asking Congress to present him with tax legislation that would encourage businesses based in the U.S. to bring production back from overseas. "Our workers are the most productive on Earth, and if the playing field is level, I promise you America will always win," Obama said. He asked Congress to act on clean energy, education, immigration, tax reform for the middle class, and domestic infrastructure. Americans dissatisfied with partisan feuding aren’t all wrong, Obama said to the legislators before him: “Can you blame them for feeling a little cynical?” Obama challenged the idea that America's international influence has waned, saying, "Anyone who tells you otherwise, anyone who tells you that America is in decline ... doesn’t know what they’re talking about." Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who announced Sunday that she would be resigning from Congress, received a standing ovation before the speech.