State Of The Union: What Obama Must Do

State Of The Union: What Obama Must Do.WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama steps to the podium in the Capitol building on Tuesday night for his third State of the Union address, with the front center of the economy and the public's mind and popularity at its lowest.

With a national audience and a surprisingly volatile year for the Republican presidential primary, experts expect Obama to use the annual speech to boost his campaign to win another four years in office.

"The State of the Union address is a combination of political discourse and political discourse, because the two are bound together by our system," said Duke University political scientist David Rohde.

Obama saw some of the populist themes that will touch on Tuesday night - income inequality, including the role of government in the playing field for the middle class.

But the effectiveness of the annual address depends on several things, according to experts, including delivery, tone and resonance.

Here are five things that veteran political observers say Obama should do when he starts talking to 21 hours:


Stay above the fray

Obama should offer a contrast to the din of campaign ads in the last Republican presidential primary, policy experts said.

"All he has to do is to look presidential," said Hofstra University Presidential scholar Meena Bose, despite the attacks of the GOP would be challengers.

"What Obama as president wants to do is rise above charges," said Bose. "The president wants to be on the offensive, not defensive."


The stress of the economic gains

The economy may have helped Obama three years ago, but it has now become a sore point - a target for enemies Republicans, a source of pessimism for Americans, according to polls, and a question that the president might want to avoid .

But Rohde said: "It has taken over the dead."

The spokesman for the White House Jay Carney says the economy will be the focus of speech.

Lynn Vavreck, a political scientist at UCLA, said Obama should focus on the growth of 3 percent of GDP in the fourth quarter of 2011 and the fall of one-half percent unemployment rate, from 9 percent to 8 5 percent in recent months.

"The winning message is not on the level of unemployment," said Vavreck. "This is the trend line."

Obama needs to follow this line, Rohde said: "It's getting better, it's getting better faster than before recently, and it is expected he will continue to s' improve it.”


Engage Congress

Obama has made no secret of the fact that he intended to run against Congress this year.

It is planned to include a sharper edge in the face legislators, particularly the GOP House. But it must also show that wants to work with Congress to create jobs.

"The president must call upon them to bear the burden of leadership and policy development," Bose said.


Show that it is at work

Polls show Americans are tired of Washington because he cannot do something. Obama must show that it is, nevertheless, to work hard.

"The overriding message of this address will be the skill and get things done," said Bose.

"You really see the advantages of incumbency," she said, as he talks about steps he will take, without the Congress.


Drive Home themes

Obama said he will present an economic model, offering new initiatives on manufacturing jobs, energy and training. But it will also revisit the measures Congress has stalled.

"President Obama really needs to show he is in control of the situation, he has a clear plan and it is up to Congress to react," said Bose.

After the speech, Obama head out of an official five-state tour for three days to push his agenda.

Vavreck said the speech to clarify his belief that the economy is recovering ". Now that things are better, do not change horses midstream”

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Romney Goes On Offense In GOP Debate

Romney Goes On Offense In GOP Debate

The knives are out.

Following two digits of Newt Gingrich victory over Mitt Romney in South Carolina primary on Saturday, Romney aggressively attacked Gingrich for Republican presidential debate Monday night, with Gingrich beat Romney in particular for his record of being a "seller of influence "Freddie Mac

Romney wasted no time going after Gingrich on NBC-sponsored debate at the University of South Florida - a new strategy for a candidate who has often tried to position itself above the fray in the above discussions, the direction of the Most of his attacks on President Obama, not his Republican rivals.

But after beating South Carolina, former Massachusetts governor was not going to miss the opportunity to bring down his rival.

"I'm not going to sit back and get attacked by day days without returning fire," he said when asked why he was pointing to Gingrich and after suggesting that he would not spend time going after his colleagues Republicans.

Gingrich skewers Romney especially consulting position at Freddie Mac - in particular Gingrich claim that he worked at the company as a "historian" rather than a pressure group.

"Well, Mr. President, you - at this stage, in an earlier debate, you said $ 300,000 was paid by Freddie Mac for a historian -. As a historian not pay $ 25,000 a month for six years as historians. That equates to about 1.6 million dollars, "said Romney.”You have to hire as a historian. And this contract shows that it was not a historian. You were a consultant."

"I was a consultant," said Gingrich.

"It does not say who provided the historical experience," said Romney. "You said you were as a consultant. And they were hired by the chief lobbyist for Freddie Mac, not the president, not the head of public affairs. The chief lobbyist for Freddie Mac," said Romney.

"We also spoke publicly in favor of these GSEs, these government-sponsored entities, in a moment that Freddie Mac was making America into a position where they would have had a massive housing collapse. You could have talked about aggressively. You may have spoken in a way that these guys are wrong, this has to stop. But instead, he was paid for them. They were making more than $ 1 million at the time of people in Florida were being harmed by millions of dollars, "he added.

Gingrich said he did not take home all the money that your company gained while working for Freddie Mac, and said it offered "strategic advice" based on his knowledge of "the history of Washington.

"We had a company. The company had three offices. The company was paying," said Gingrich. "My participation rate was approximately $ 35,000 per year. And the fact is that they offer strategic advice, largely based on my knowledge of history, including the history of Washington."

"But if you read the contract we have published, and the Center for Health Transformation had to ask permission to publish, it says very clearly what to do consulting work. The governor did consulting work for the year. Never I suggested his consulting work was pressing, "he said. "So let me start there. Nowhere in the contract that provides for lobbying. I've never done any pressure."

When asked directly if he had "sold influence," as Romney had reported earlier in the debate, Gingrich criticized the prosecution.

"You know, there is a point in the process where it gets personal and nasty unnecessarily. And that's sad," he said. "The fact is I've had a long career of trying to represent the people of Georgia and as President, the people of the United States. I think it's pretty clear in saying that I never, ever gone and done any lobbying. "

When Gingrich seemed to suggest that Romney Bain Capital Company had links with the government, Romney quickly said, "We have not done any work with the government. I had an office on K Street. I was not a lobbyist. I do not - never worked - I've never worked in Washington. "

"There are congressmen who say ... that came and lobbied about the Medicare Part D at the same time," said Romney, referring to a federal program to subsidize prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries.

"Now, wait. Wait, wait," said Gingrich. "You just jump a long way to here, amigo."

"Well, another - another area of ​​influence peddling," said Romney.

"I have always publicly in favor of a strong Medicare program," said Gingrich. "I publicly favored Medicare Part D for a practical reason and that reason is simple, the U.S. government was not willing to give people anything -. Insulin, e.g -. But they would be willing to pay they renal dialysis were not prepared to give people Lipitor, but pay for open heart surgery. That's a terrible way to run Medicare. "

He said he was "proud" that had "publicly, openly advocated for Medicare Part D. It has saved lives. Is aimed at a model of free enterprises. Also included are savings accounts for health and alternatives including Medicare, This gave people options. "

Romney, as expected, was not satisfied with this answer.

"That is why it is a problem, Mr. President. That is why it is a problem. And, if you're getting paid by healthcare companies, whether institutions are being paid by companies that could benefit from health a law, and then meet with congressional Republicans and encourage them to support the legislation, you can call it whatever you want. I call influence peddling, "he said.”It is wrong is not correct that you have a dispute -...'re being paid by companies at the same time you are encouraging people to pass legislation that is in their favor."

In the early afternoon, Romney also attacked the credibility of Gingrich as a leader, led to his controversial position as chairman of the House in early 1990.

"I think to choose the president of the United States, you are looking for a person who can lead this country in a very critical moment, the head of the free world and the free world has to lead the world," Romney said when asked about eligibility compared to other candidates. "I think it's about leadership and the President gave him the opportunity to be the leader of our party in 1994. And at the end of four years, had to resign in disgrace," he said.

Romney tried to paint the stark differences between him and the former president.

"When I was fighting against emissions trading, the President was sitting with Nancy Pelosi on a couch encouraging development. When I was struggling to say that Paul Ryan's plan to solve Medicare was bold and right, saying it was in right-wing social engineering, "he said.

Gingrich said he wanted to "spend the night trying to go after Governor Romney misinformation" and did not answer directly, saying only that Romney, "he said at least four things that were false" and that his website will publish an explanation. Gingrich also claimed to have resigned his speakership after the 1998 elections because "claimed responsibility for the fact that our results were not as good as they should be."

"I feel very comfortable that my four years as president, working with a Democratic president, reached the kind of conservative values ​​that most Republicans want to have a president," Gingrich continued.

Fellow candidate Ron Paul objected to the characterization of how the events unfolded.

Gingrich said Paul, left the speakership not "punish himself" but because "he had the votes" to get re-elected.

"No, not to run for President, you know, two years later," said Paul. "He did not have the votes. That's what the problem was. So the idea that he did not comply voluntarily, and that was to be punished because he was not well in the election, which is not only the way it was”.

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Republican Presidential Debate In Tampa

Republican Presidential Debate In Tampa.TAMPA - Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, have clashed repeatedly and strongly in a Republican presidential debate here Monday night, with the former Massachusetts governor attacked the former Speaker of the House failed as a leader, a peddler of influence of K Street and a candidate who would put the party at risk in the general election.

Romney, seeking to resume the offensive after a loss in the primary in South Carolina on Saturday that broke the GOP race open, adopted an attitude quite different from that displayed during the two debates dull last week. Forum on Monday, he kept the pressure on Gingrich, especially in the early stages, and tried to raise doubts about his ability to lead the party.

"You spent over 15 years on K Street in Washington," Romney said about the years of former President after he left Congress. "And it's a real problem if we nominate someone who not only had a record of great distress that the speaker, but has worked for 15 years of lobbying.”

Gingrich, whose pugnacious debating style helped propel him to victory in South Carolina, was much lower because it countered the attacks from Romney. He accused the former governor to make his facts wrong and distorted to the cost, and predicted that voters would reject such a policy.

Gingrich protested when Romney said the former president had lobbied members of Congress on legislation to add prescription drug coverage to Medicare. "You just missed a long way here, a friend," he said sarcastically. "Let me be very clear, because I understand your technique ... it will not work very well, because the American people see through it.”

The debate came at a crucial moment in the Republican presidential race, with Romney's candidacy suddenly at risk, with Gingrich unexpectedly strong in the running for the party nomination.

Two other candidates were on stage - former Senator Rick Santorum (Pennsylvania), who won the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3, and Ron Paul (Texas) - but the emphasis is now almost entirely on Romney and Newt Gingrich, and the tenor of the debate reflects the political reality. Much more than in some past forums, the two front-runners spent more time challenging each other to try to make a case against President Obama or describe their plan for economic recovery.

Although the exchange between Romney and Newt Gingrich pointed out, the debate, held at the University of South Florida, missing the carnival atmosphere of those of South Carolina, where the audience applauded loudly and pushed candidates.

The debate came as Romney, under pressure, released its 2010 tax returns and estimates for 2011. He acknowledged Sunday that his campaign had made a mistake by not taking action when the issue arose.

Earlier in the day, Romney demanded that Gingrich release its contract with the giant Freddie Mac housing, which has paid staff to former President about 1.6 million over a period of several years. Shortly before the debate, Gingrich had one of these contracts on its website of the campaign, showing an annual payment of $ 300 000.

But Romney was not ready to let go of the issue as he mocked his rival's claim in a forum earlier that he was hired as a historian of the agency and noted that the chief lobbyist for Freddie Mac brought him on board.

"If you read the contract very clear ... it supposed to do consulting work," Gingrich said. "The Governor did not consult work for years. I have never suggested that his consulting work was lobbying. ... There is no place in the contract that provides lobbying. I've never done lobbying. "
When Romney also accused Gingrich had lobbied members of Congress on a provision of drugs for Medicare, the former president protested?

"I am proud that I have publicly, openly advocated Medicare Part D," he said. "It has saved lives. It is run on a model of free enterprise."

Romney replied that one of the companies Gingrich was representing health care companies that stood to benefit from the adoption of legislation.

"You can call it what you want," said Romney. "I call influence peddling."

The issue of tenure Gingrich as Speaker of the House has also figured prominently at the beginning of this debate that the candidates who were eligible discussed.

"I think it's about leadership, and he had the opportunity to be the leader of our party in 1994," said Romney. "And at the end of four years, he had to resign in shame."

Gingrich describes his four years as a lecturer as one of the important achievements, including a balanced budget, social reform and the re-election of a Republican Congress.

"I left the presidency after the 1998 elections because I took responsibility for the fact that our results were not as good as they should be," he said. "I think is what a leader should do. "

He said his record of building the Republican Party, to help win the House in 1994 for the maintenance of these majorities, while he was speaker, was far superior to anything Romney can point to a governor and the head of the Republican Governors Association.

When Romney noted the House of reprimand Gingrich for ethics violations, Gingrich said he had asked Republicans to vote for her to get the matter behind him and the GOP-controlled House.

Paul jumped to support the evaluation of the Presidency of Romney Gingrich, saying: ". It was chaotic"

Paul also challenged the assertion that Gingrich will leave the presidency was a noble act of leadership following the GOP's disappointing election results in 1998.

"He did not have the votes," said Paul. "That was the problem. Thus, the idea that deliberately denied and that he would be punished because we did not well in the election, it's just not the way it was. "

The issue of time Romney at Bain Capital has come several times, with Romney again regretting that some of its rivals had picked up the "tools of the left" to advance their candidacy in the Republican primary.

When Santorum was asked about this, he hesitated - at first. He said he had never criticized the work of Romney at Bain but then leveled criticism at both the front runners. He wondered whether Romney or Gingrich is also committed to capitalism as they have supported the campaign, noting that both supported the bailout of Wall Street Federal in 2008.

"My question to Governor Romney and President Gingrich: If you believe in capitalism that much, then why did you support the bailout of Wall Street, where you had the opportunity to allow the destructive capitalism to work, to allow a failure of a - of a system were to fail because people have done things in capitalism pay, you pay a price?”

Closed the debate on Monday day of increasing attack by Romney and Gingrich a strong rebuttal.
When Romney demanded that Gingrich release records of his work as a consultant to Freddie Mac and other entities, as well as documents relating to the investigation of ethics, he warned that they would reveal "potentially unlawful activities. But neither he nor his advisers could cite anything specific that led the candidate to make such a statement.

Gingrich, campaigning in the Tampa area, he dismissed as a sign of someone who believes his candidacy to sink quickly in the wake of his loss in South Carolina. "It's such baloney," he said at a rally. "It used to be pious baloney, baloney now it's just hopeless."

After spending all last week on the defensive, Romney hopes to turn the tables on Gingrich. Momentum onetime now gone, Romney is counting on his superior organization and advance payment to gain an advantage in Florida, which will hold its first Tuesday.

Romney has an edge over the airwaves. It’s Super Pac, restore our future, spent $ 5 million in Florida, according to the Federal Election Commission filings. And his campaign has been on air for three weeks.

Gingrich is working overtime to catch up. On the heels of his South Carolina victory, his campaign has set a target of $ 1 million for a "money bomb" online, but quickly; he raised $ 2 million over two days. And the CAP support Gingrich, Winning our future, set a spending target of $ 10 million in primary in Florida.

Miriam Adelson - the wife of casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and hotel, including 5 million in donations have helped make Newt Gingrich competitive in South Carolina - Gingrich promised a Super Pac 5 million dollars this week, a source close to Adelson said. News of the Adelson gift was first reported by the Sun in Las Vegas.

Staff writers Amy Gardner and James V. Grimaldi Washington and Nia-Malika Henderson and Philip Rucker in Tampa contributed to this report.

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Republican Debate: Mitt Romney-Newt Gingrich Fight Flares, Then Fizzles

Republican Debate: Mitt Romney-Newt Gingrich Fight Flares, Then Fizzles.Mitt Romney was a face to face assault against his main rival in the growing debate on Monday night in Florida, calling Newt Gingrich as "influence peddling" he had to "resign in disgrace" of the House of Representatives.

In the first minutes of debate, Romney quickly went on the offensive, accusing the man who defeated him in the primary South Carolina the weekend of being unscrupulous, unreliable and simply ineligible.

"I think [the election] on leadership. And the president gave him the opportunity to be the leader of our party in 1994. And at the end of four years, had to resign in disgrace," said Romney. "In the 15 years after leaving the speakership, he had been working as a peddler of influence in Washington. And during those 15 years I have helped turn the Olympics, he helped start a very successful turnaround in the state of Massachusetts. "

Romney maintained throughout the first half of debate, criticism Gingrich for being reprimanded by his GOP colleagues in the House, to make money as a defender of Freddie Mac and teaming up with Nancy Pelosi to talk about global warming.

It rose to a kitchen-sink attack a man who rose from the defeats in Iowa and New Hampshire to become a mortal threat to Romney's candidacy. Romney's aggressive behavior recently made it clear that he sees as a threat Gingrich in Florida and nationwide.

Remains to be seen how the sudden change of attitude Romney debate play with voters who had previously been to try to maintain a position above the fray, which seemed to wait for general elections.

Romney struggled to maintain the intensity of their criticism for the duration of the night, as the debate shifted to the Florida-specific issues such as subsidies for sugar and half a decade-old Terri Schiavo.

The sometimes volatile Gingrich maintained his composure during an attack by Romney, responding with a combination of ridicule and scorn visible content.

"I'm not going to spend the night trying to go after Governor Romney misinformation," Gingrich said in the beginning of the debate. "This is the worst kind of politics trivial."

But against shock followed by Romney, Gingrich began to strike back, complains that Romney was practicing dirty politics and go after the record for the Bay Stater as party leader.

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Republican Debate Sunday Serves Up More Fireworks But No Game Changers

Republican Debate Sunday Serves Up More Fireworks But No Game Changers.CONCORD, NH - The Republican presidential candidates came to life Sunday morning in his second debate in 12 hours, trading verbal blows, with Mitt Romney's favorite, so that was planned last night.

Romney deftly swatted the attack again, proving once more skillful debater has become. However, a follow-up survey of new night show signs of slipping carrying the former governor of Massachusetts in the State of granite, two days before the first primary in the country.

New Suffolk University poll / 7 showed that support for Romney in New Hampshire 35 percent to 43 percent on Tuesday, while Ron Paul (R-Texas) remained double-digit gap of 20 percent. Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, was the explosion of research in third with 11 percent. And former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) has also been falling by 8 percent, down from 11 percent two days ago. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) was 9 percent.

Huntsman was the surprise of the morning. They seemed to be connected during the discussion of NBC / Facebook, with its emphasis on the restoration of confidence the American people. Also, Romney said in an exchange in which Romney, as he did on Saturday night during the debate on ABC, 2009-10 denigrated the service as U.S. ambassador Huntsman in China, under the presidency of Barack Obama.

"I think we serve our country for the first time standing for people who believe in conservative principles and make every effort to promote an agenda that does not include the agenda of President Obama," said Romney. "The person who should represent our party against President Obama is not a person who called him an outstanding leader and went to his ambassador to China."

Huntsman responded immediately with a line that generated applause from the audience: "This country is divided by the attitudes of that."

"The American people are tired of the partisan divide. They have had enough. There is no trust left," said Huntsman.

He was the meanest moment, Romney morning. Elsewhere however, managed to fend off the blows of Gingrich and Santorum, who attacked Romney in the first debate a few moments.

"It would be defending conservative principles. He ran Ronald Reagan," Romney said Santorum successful 1994 bid for U.S. Senate against Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.). "We want someone when the weather gets tough ... that will stand up and fight for conservative principles."

Santorum also hit Romney because he did not run for reelection after his first term as governor of Massachusetts. "If the disc was as big as Massachusetts governor, why not for re-election, why bail," said Santorum.

Romney said he does not consider politics a career, but he ran for public service for altruistic reasons.

"I went to Massachusetts to make a difference," said Romney. "Run again would be me."

"Politics is not a race. For me, my career was in business," he said.

Gingrich, whose irritation with Romney became volcanic in recent weeks could not contain himself.

"I realize that the red light means nothing to you because you're the favorite, but we can make a small pile of nonsense?" Gingrich spat. "Right on the American people. They have performed at least since the 1990s."

But it was an exchange between Romney and Gingrich at the end of the debate that showed Romney's ability to maintain a calm appearance, while hitting hard at a television format. Gingrich complained that the ads by a super-PAC Romney support has submitted false information.

Romney had a part that he had not seen the advertisements and details of the charges in television ads Gingrich looked with a grimace. Romney methodically marked critical: Gingrich was ousted from the presidency of the House, sat down with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) to promote global warming legislation, has criticized the plan offered Medicare reform by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and has been investigated by the ethics committee of the House.

"These things have been very true," said Romney.

Romney campaign is fully aware of the challenges of the televised debates, which have played an important role in the first presidential contest in the past. As former Gov. John Sununu of New Hampshire told The Huffington Post, on Saturday night after Snoozer of a debate in Manchester, NH, "Television is a difficult environment."

"If you have trouble on TV which is magnified. And it's hard to be difficult. It's a real tight balance," said Sununu.

Romney has shown once again by the experience gained in the operation four years ago allowed him to stand out from other candidates in the high-profile parameters of the debate at high pressure. It also has an electoral machine that dwarfs and surpasses all others in the field.

However, Romney did not close the deal with Republican voters, and if their numbers continue to fall compared to Tuesday's primary in New Hampshire, which could move to South Carolina on January 21 in a somewhat weakened competition. The problem for anti-Romney in the Republican Party fees, however, is that none of the other candidates present a convincing alternative. Or at least they did not.

Meanwhile, Romney's campaign has argued that a victory in New Hampshire - regardless of the margin - is a remarkable achievement.

"If Mitt wins, I think the nature of the victory of the history of decisions that overwhelm all other coverage of the race at this time. No Republican has won non-traditional in Iowa and New Hampshire," Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom HuffPost Saturday night. "So do not think it matters if you won a few votes as he did in Iowa or more. I think it makes history in their own way."

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