State of the Union Address news stories on Newser

Rubio on Water Gulp: God Reminding Me I'm Human

Matt Cantor — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 08:47:36 CST

It's not unusual for the peanut gallery to ask if a politician was drinking after a speech—or if that drink was Kool-Aid—but it's Marco Rubio's swig of water last night that's getting more attention than his words. While giving his party's response to the State of the Union,...

Obama's SOTU Had 'Retro Flavor'

Matt Cantor — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 07:49:21 CST

Pundits agree: President Obama's speech last night marked a firm push for progressive goals, shedding much of the bipartisan focus we've heard from him in recent years. A sampling of what analysts are saying: The speech had a "retro flavor—'Democrat Classic,'" writes Glenn Thrush at Politico . It "could...

Paul, Tea Party Slam 'Robin Hood'

Matt Cantor — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 03:29:51 CST

Rand Paul called for more "Adam Smith" and less "Robin Hood" as he gave the Tea Party's response to President Obama's State of the Union. "Government is the problem," the Kentucky senator said, calling for drastic spending cuts. Sequestration's automatic cuts aren't enough, he said: "Few people understand that the...

Obama Wants to Raise Minimum Wage to $9

John Johnson — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 21:20:26 CST

We knew much of what he was going to say in advance—a focus on gun violence, job creation to create a "thriving middle class," and a quicker drawdown of US troops in Afghanistan , for starters—but President Obama still had a speech to give. Some highlights and odds and...

Rubio: Obama Has 'Obsession' to Raise Taxes

John Johnson — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 19:00:00 CST

President Obama is going to make middle-class jobs a big part of his State of the Union Address, but Marco Rubio says the president's approach would backfire. Politico has excerpts of Rubio's Republican rebuttal, to be delivered in English and Spanish , including: “The tax increases and the deficit spending you...

Obama: Middle-Class Jobs Must Be Our 'North Star'

John Johnson — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:36:04 CST

It's not clear how specific President Obama will get in laying out initiatives to create jobs in his State of the Union Address, but excerpts released by the White House make clear he intends to make the concept a key talking point—and he insists it won't increase the deficit....

Anonymous Vows to Block Obama Speech Online

John Johnson — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 15:24:05 CST

If you're trying to follow President Obama's State of the Union Address online tonight and run into trouble, this might be why: The hackers of Anonymous promise a "virtual blockade" of the speech during its live delivery, reports Salon . It's not clear exactly what that means, but a communique states...

State of the Union Advice for Obama

Kevin Spak — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 13:59:05 CST

President Obama will deliver his State of the Union address tonight, and every pundit out there has an opinion on how he should approach it. A sampling of the day's top unsolicited advice: "It may be tempting to list a series of measures Obama wants Congress to pass," but Obama...

Exec Orders on Cybersecurity Due Tomorrow

Mark Russell — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 11:56:39 CST

President Obama's hotly rumored executive orders to beef up cybersecurity for companies operating America's critical infrastructure are coming tomorrow morning, sources tell the Hill . Obama is expected to mention cybersecurity briefly in tonight's State of the Union address, as he did in last year's; but, with Congress failing to pass...