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 Dogged by an ailing economy since the start of his presidency six
years ago, Obama appeared before a joint session of Congress for his
State of the Union speech in a confident mood, buoyed by an economic
revival that has trimmed the jobless rate to 5.6 percent and eager
to use this as a mandate.
It is now time, he told lawmakers and millions watching on
television, to "turn the page" from recession and war and work
together to boost those middle-class Americans who have been left
behind.
But by calling for higher taxes that Republicans are unlikely to
approve and chiding those who suggest climate change is not real,
Obama set a confrontational tone for his final two years in office.
He vowed to veto any Republican effort to roll back his signature
healthcare law and his unilateral loosening of immigration policy.
Any attempt to increase sanctions on Iran while negotiations with
Tehran over its nuclear program are still under way would also be
rejected, he said.
In sum, Obama appeared liberated: no longer having to face American
voters again after his election victories in 2008 and 2012, a point
that he reminded Republicans about.
"I have no more campaigns to run," Obama said. When a smattering of
applause rose from Republicans at that prospect, he added with a
tight smile: "I know because I won both of them."
Addressing Congress for the first time since Republicans seized the
Senate in November elections, the Democratic president made clear he
will not back down from his political opponents, urging them to work
with him to engage in a debate about the future "without demonizing
each other."
"Imagine if we broke out of these tired old patterns," he said.
"Imagine if we did something different."
The core of Obama's plan to boost the middle class is to raise taxes
on the wealthiest Americans by $320 billion over the next 10 years
to pay for expanded tax credits and educational benefits for the
middle class, including two years of free community college.
Many of the proposals he outlined, while popular with many
Americans, are unlikely to become reality, given Republican
opposition and the fact Obama will soon become a lame duck as the
county turns its attention to the 2016 campaign to succeed him.
But even if Obama's wealth redistribution proposals are anathema to
Republicans, they could be forced to consider alternative ways to
tackle income inequality and prove they can govern, which could be a
factor for Americans as they consider whether to elect a Republican
as president in 2016.
 And his moves could give an assist to Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton, the overwhelming favorite for the Democratic presidential
nomination if she decides to run.
Potential Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney, who Obama
defeated in 2012, and Jeb Bush responded quickly to the speech in
Facebook postings, saying Obama was trying to use the tax code to
divide people.
"Rather than bridging the gap between the parties, he makes 'bridge
to nowhere' proposals. Disappointing. A missed opportunity to lead,"
said Romney.
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ISLAMIC STATE
At a time of riveting global crises, Obama's speech was mostly about
domestic issues and was relatively light on foreign policy.
He defended his decision in December to seek to normalize relations
with Communist-ruled Cuba and urged Congress to lift the more than
50-year-old U.S. economic embargo against Havana.
He called on lawmakers to pass a new authorization of military force
against Islamic State militants to replace powers that were given to
President George W. Bush to prosecute the Iraq war.
Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, two sharp
critics of Obama, accused the president of bungling the battle
against Islamic State, also known by the acronym ISIS.
"Despite the President’s claims of progress in the campaign against
ISIS, this terrorist army continues to gain thousands of recruits
and now controls significantly more territory in Syria than when
U.S. airstrikes began there six months ago," they said in a
statement.
Obama reprised a promise he made when he first took office and vowed
an unrelenting effort to close the U.S. military prison at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where foreign terrorism suspects have been
held since 2002.
He had a message for both Democrats and Republicans on trade, where
he wants to complete trade deals with Asia and Europe to create more
export-related jobs.
He urged Congress to give him trade promotion authority, the power
to negotiate free trade deals. Democrats have opposed giving him the
power, fearing the deals he makes will hurt American labor.
Warning that China wants to "write the rules for the world's fastest
growing region," Obama said both parties should give him the trade
authority as a way of protecting American workers, "with strong new
trade deals from Asia to Europe that aren't just free, but fair."
His speech was posted online at http://bit.ly/1AK6zG0
(Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton, Susan Heavey and Susan
Cornwell; Editing by Frances Kerry)
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