Obama, Find Your Inner Reagan

Pundits see president's speech as a populist offensive

(NEWSER) - President Obama delivered a feisty, populist State of the Union address last night ( excerpts here , pictures here ), and naturally pundits are dissecting and grading it today. Here's what they're saying:

• "Obama had a simple message for Republicans: Game on," writes Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post . What on the surface was a typical post-partisan Obama speech was actually full of populist challenges to Republicans. "This is Obama version 2.0: Harder, more cynical but perhaps also more effective."

President says restoring American dream our 'defining issue'

(NEWSER) - President Obama delivered his third State of the Union address tonight, with a focus as expected on economic inequality and the need for all Americans to get a "fair shot" at success, reports CNN . In fact, Obama called keeping the promise of the American dream alive the "defining issue of our time." (That includes revamping the tax code, he said. Details on his Buffett rule pitch here .) More»

State of the Union speech to hit on fairness, income inequality

(NEWSER) - It's no great surprise given that Warren Buffett's secretary will be a guest, but President Obama will hit on the theme of income inequality in his State of the Union speech tonight. The White House released excerpts ahead of the 9pm speech, notes CNN . (Also, the phrase "built to last" looks to be a theme; it's in there twice.)

• "We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by. Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules. What's at stake are not Democratic values or Republican values, but American values."
• "As long as I'm president, I will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum. But I intend to fight obstruction with action, and I will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place."

Maybe not, writes Linton Weeks

(NEWSER) - The State of the Union used to be "a monumental moment—surrounded on each side by a few days of national reflection," a time when the president could address important topics in "a relatively quiet and slowly whirring world," writes Linton Weeks at NPR . Not so anymore. Thanks to the 24-hour news cycle, Twitter, and the like, "Everybody knows all the time what President Obama thinks about everything … And everyone knows what everyone else thinks about the president—and the state of the union." In this day and age, "has the State of the Union address become obsolete?" More»

Debbie Bosanek will sit in Michelle Obama's box

(NEWSER) - At tonight's State of the Union address, Warren Buffett's secretary will have a seat in Michelle Obama's box, the Washington Post reports. Debbie Bosanek is the inspiration for President Obama's "Buffett rule," a call for the rich to pay a higher tax rate; Buffett famously claimed that he pays a lower tax rate than Bosanek , despite his wealth. Bosanek's presence will help the president make a case for the rule, which he says will in turn boost spending and create jobs. Also attending tonight's address: Gabrielle Giffords, in one of her last acts as a congresswoman, CBS News reports. More»