UPDATE: "Obama Pitches Global Fight for U.S. Jobs in Address," The New York Times, 1/26/11.
PREVIEW
Every year the State of the Union stands out as one of the biggest events in Washington, D.C. The political class in the city is abuzz around this time of year with talk about what the President will likely speak about, who will be seated with the First Lady and who from the opposition party will deliver the official response.
In these regards, the level of chatter around this year's State of the Union appears no different than in years past. President Obama has had his team already send out an e-mail to supporters previewing the main theme of his upcoming State of the Union address for Tuesday night. The President said, "My number one focus is going to be making sure that we are competitive... I will talk to the nation about how we can win the future by out-innovating, out-educating, and out-building the rest of the world." His speech is expected to touch on issues ranging from deficit reduction to investment in education, and they all fall under the overarching theme of international competition.
Economic troubles have been leading some Americans to see foreign markets more as a competitive threat than as a source of new investment, customers and wealth. Political observers both in the United States and around the world will be watching to see if the address emphasizes the opportunities that American interaction with the global marketplace can bring to fruition or whether it will follow the opposite path. Over the weekend, President Obama declared, "If we're serious about fighting for American jobs and American businesses, one of the most important things we can do is open up more markets to American goods around the world."
In related news, Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) recently announced that he and Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) will soon be introducing legislation calling on Congress to grant the President "fast-track" authority to negotiate international trade deals and bring those deals before Congress for ratification. The Executive Office of the President has lacked "fast-track" authority since 2007, when Congress allowed the authority to expire rather than allow then-President Bush to wield it. Senator Portman served as the U.S. Trade Representative under President Bush.
The Obama administration will acknowledge the victims of the tragedy earlier in the month in Tucson. Daniel Hernandez, an intern for Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), is widely credited with saving Representative Giffords's life because he acted so quickly in the moments after she was shot. Family members of Christina-Taylor Green, the nine-year-old girl who was killed in the attack, will also be in attendance. Four members of the medical staff attending to Representative Giffords are also expected to attend: Doctors Michael Lemole, Peter Rhee and Randall Friese, along with Tracy Culbert, an intensive care unit nurse. bGiffords's husband, NASA astronaut Mike Kelly, also received an invitation from the White House, but he is expected to continue staying by his wife's side during her recovery rather than attend the address.
Washingtonians will likely be watching this year's response to the State of the Union rather closely. Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) has been selected to deliver the Republican response. Ryan is widely regarded as a young up-and-comer in the House GOP caucus. As Chairman of the House Budget Committee, Ryan is now the one of the most influential and powerful Republican Congressional voice on fiscal issues. Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ), also seen as a potential major national player for the Republican Party, received an offer to give the GOP response, but he declined. Bill Palatucci, Christie's former law partner, told The Star-Ledger that the governor is choosing to focus on issues particular to New Jersey than to insert himself directly into national politics.