Obama's State of the Union Focus: "Winning the Future"

Barack Obama delivers his first State of the Union address Jan. 27, 2010.

/ Getty

President Obama will use tonight's State of the Union address to issue a broad call for a common ground approach to get the nation's financial house in order.

Nearly three months after what he described as the "shellacking" suffered by his party in the midterm elections, the president will try to balance a call for job creation and deficit reduction. He will offer his vision to promote hiring with what officials describe as "targeted investments." He will frame it as a plan for "winning the future."

The White House is well aware that Republicans view those "investments" as more stimulus money. Melody Barnes, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council told CBS News, "We've got to invest in those areas where we know this will work and promote our economy and we've got to cut in those areas where we know things are not working." Barnes said spending and cuts must be balanced because "we don't want to end up in the same hole that we found ourselves in when we walked into office in January of 2009."

CBSNews.com Special Coverage: State of the Union 2011

While Mr. Obama will leave specific cuts to the budget debate, he will say that everything should be on the table. The hot button Social Security issue is on that list. Barnes says Mr. Obama believes "we have to have that conversation." Officials indicate the president will call for overhauling the corporate tax code. He will also discuss education reform, one of the few areas where the White House hopes for agreement with Republicans.

The president previewed the overall tone of the speech in a weekend video message to his supporters. Discussing the economic challenges, Mr. Obama said, "We're up to it as long as we come together as a people - Republican, Democrats, independents - as long as we focus on what binds us together as a people, as long as we're willing to find common ground even as we're having some very vigorous debates."

Standing in the same House chamber where Republicans voted to repeal the health care reform law only last week, Mr. Obama will strongly defend his signature program. According to Barnes, the president is ready to say, "We can't fight battles of the past. We've got to move forward and make sure that health care is implemented in the most effective and efficient way." He will likely point to the stories of "real people" who have benefited from the new law.

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The GOP response to the president's comments on an issue that has caused so much political rancor will be closely watched as Congress embarks on what amounts to a civility experiment. Many lawmakers have taken up the call to sit with colleagues from the opposite party. Republican Senator John McCain told CBS' "The Early Show," "We can be more civil but let's not lose our passion." Robert Lehrman, an American University adjunct professor and former chief speech writer for Vice President Al Gore expects a one-night symbolic display. Lehrman told CBS Radio News, "Having people sit together during this event is not meaningful. Families sit together at dinner. That doesn't mean you don't have a big fight about homework after dessert." A forced bipartisan seating arrangement will be on prominent display behind the president. Republican House Speaker John Boehner will be seated next to Democratic Vice President Joseph Biden.

Regardless of the seating arrangement on the House floor, the mood is expected to be more somber than in recent raucous years. The speech comes less than three weeks after the Tucson shooting tragedy that left Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords seriously wounded. The president will pay tribute to Giffords and elaborate on the Tucson speech where he commented on the national discourse.

The family of 9-year-old shooting victim Christina Taylor Green will be seated with First Lady Michelle Obama. Daniel Hernandez, the congressional staff intern who heroically came to Giffords' aid, will also be in the VIP gallery.

Mr. Obama is expected to briefly touch on foreign policy challenges including the changing U.S. military role in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The speech offers the president his best opportunity and biggest audience to set the stage for the second half of his term and for campaign 2012. As former President Bill Clinton wrote in his autobiography My Life, "It's the only time in a year when a president gets the chance to speak to the American people, unfiltered, for a whole hour."

Peter Maer is a CBS News White House correspondent. You can read more of his posts in Hotsheet here. You can also follow him on Twitter.

[thestardoctor]

All Mr Obama seems to know how to do is to give Good Speeches, but only if the Teleprompters there.. Which leaves most of America asking W T F? His abilities as President sort of remind me of a Bull in a China shop, so Im wondering whom will the Democratic Party get to replace him in 2012?

[smartvoter]

Reading the thread, I chuckle at those who rant about the big, bad, intrusive government. By and large, those comments are riddled with poor grammar and idiotic spelling errors. Where are the educated Republicans of yore? I'd love to see the incisive wit of a William Buckley. Alas, herein I find only the gibberings of Tea Party trolls and angry sots. The rest of us would be laughing if only you weren't so dangerous.

[david4673]

Most Americans that tune in tonight -- or read the text later -- will accept the speech on it's merits.

The vast majority of Americans either support the presidency (and whomever holds that office) and/or this particular president. The people that post trash about the person who holds this Constitutionally mandated office are just spewing sour grapes.

Yes, that was true with other presidents too. Regardless of any of this, if we Americans don't pull together and stop with the damned "us against them" attitudes about our own fellow Americans -- elected and electing -- other countries that are pulling together will dance on the grave of this great nation.

In other words. Get over the trash talk. Agree, disagree -- agree to disagree but stop being so damned disagreeable!

I am in my twenties and I hope I still have a country after you divisive and hateful people have tried all you can to destroy her. Why? because you didn't win an election.... there will be others. Have some faith in the USA.

[david4673]

Oh please.

Stop the internet stalking. You lost a previous argument, I noticed... (by READING the thread.... wow, what a concept?) now you are going to follow me around with your defensive replies to my humorous take on your infantile protestations?


I stand by my comment above. Pointing out divisive and hateful commentary isn't akin to being disagreeable. YOU might think so because you see yoyrself as one mentioned, but most people will take my comment in the spirit it was intended. Hope for the future.

Anyway, please stop the stalking. I am guessing it is a total violation of the terms and conditions here and I have no problem using the triangle if necessary.

Thank you. I'd rather not report you.

[JWinATL]

You show amazing maturity and clarity for your age. I could be your grandmother, and I could not have said it better. I was brought up in a generation where we could disagree politically, but we always found common ground. In addition, we NEVER called each other names for holding a different view. Oh, that we could only return to those days. Republican or Democrat - we are Americans, and we need to start acting like it.

[IloiloKano]

I agree with Jim Geraghty that Obama's SOTU focus should simply be known by it's initials, "***".

[Cattzen]

It will be a good speech, because the United States is improving and will continue to recover from the detrimental Conservative Agenda.

[cloopy]

someone mentioned how obama well responded to the tuscon shootings??that memorial was nothing more then a 20,000 pro obama strong yes we can,rally,not a memorial! as for the issue of ridding guns that can hold 30c bullets??thats a bunch of crap!!obama needs to look around the corner from his white house,DC,innercities,15 yr old thugs with pistols,killin eachother,4get this 30 bullet gun crap,change the damn gun laws,fucus on the extremely high black on black homicide rate,it affects us all,what about it obama

[towler10]

So he makes another one of his glorious speeches and everyone is supposed to believe him because he talks a good line? "Yes we can"--No we won't.

[AngryMobVoter]

We already have heard some of what Obama has to say. His recent comments strike me as disingenuous. What Obama says is not important. It is what Obama has done that is the problem.

I am tired of walking into a supermarket and always seeing the person in front of me in the checkout line using "assistance" to pay for food. Am I the only one not getting money from the government? I am tired of my taxes being used to make it so easy for people to not earn a living.

Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and the rest of the Democrats believe in big government and intrusive regulation. They believe in taking from the people who work hard and get educated to achieve and give it to the people who do not try to better themselves.

We need to end all of the wasteful and inefficient government programs to make it easier for people to live off the system than to be productive members of the economy.

I am tired of paying taxes to pay for the person in the checkout line in front of me using food stamps to buy food only to follow that up with using a large amount of cash to by cigarettes. I am tired of paying taxes so government workers can get salaries and benefits far beyond what I get in the private sector. I am tired of paying taxes to support people who have little incentive to work and achieve. Our government is dysfunctional, inefficient, and to big. It is our huge, dysfunctional, and wasteful government that is holding back our economy and job growth.

We must continue to VOTE THEM OUT!!!

[Cattzen]

What President Obama has done is: bring the US back from the brink of disaster from the Conservative Agenda

Vote for Americans and America!

[Cattzen]

"We are going to get our nation back!"

because everything was sooo good for Americans under the Republican Administration?

not.

[GrizzlyBear55]

Good idea Dictator Obama, win the future because you've lost the past. Do you want a suggestion? Quit following what the Communist Party (Democratic Party). They are making you look stupid which is easy for them to do.

[Cattzen]

The question is when will REPUBLICANS get on board to constructively contribute to the process of Government instead of continuing their destructive agenda?

[Cattzen]

The Party of "NO!" contributes nothing to the American TAX PAYER.

[towler10]

Hi Cattzen. After those evil-voodoo Republicans this evening? How about some new material? You were braying the same noise last night to a different article.