In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Barack Obama laid out a hopeful vision for America's future in an era of divided government. "Now that the worst of the recession is over, we have to confront the fact that our government spends more than it takes in. That is not sustainable," Obama said, highlighting positive economic growth. Throughout the speech, the President struck a conciliatory and centrist tone, carefully avoiding left-right political pitfalls. The President called for big spending cuts to reduce the deficit, but also for investments to make America more competitive. “We need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world,” he said. On health care, President Obama defended the new law, but extended an olive branch to conservatives suggesting lawmakers work together to fix any flaws. Will the President’s centrist approach bring lawmakers together or alienate both sides? Was it a Sputnik moment for the President or a successful strategy?
Guests:
Kitty Felde, Washington D.C. correspondent for KPCC
Xavier Becerra, US Congressman (D-31); Vice-Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Dana Rohrabacher, US Congressman (R-46); includes Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Seal Beach and portions of Long Beach
Ashley Ingram, Executive Director of Young Republican Federation of California
John Nichols, Washington Correspondent for The Nation