WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama will stand before the nation Tuesday night with a State of the Union address designed to reframe the election-year debate on his terms. He is expected to suggest a stark contrast with his opponents on the economy and promise fairness and help for hurting families.
Obama will likely offer new proposals to make college more affordable, to ease the housing crisis still slowing the economy, and to boost American manufacturing, according to people familiar with the speech. He will also promote unfinished parts of his jobs plan, including the extension of a payroll tax cut soon to expire.
In essence, this State of the Union is not so much about the year ahead as the four more years Obama wants after that.