Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Obama: US must reclaim values of fairness for all

On the day of his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama walks from the Oval Office along the Colonnade of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

On the day of his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama walks from the Oval Office along the Colonnade of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

Graphic shows number of words used in official and unofficial State of the Union addresses; will be updated following Obama???s 2012 speech

On the day of his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama walks from the Oval Office along the Colonnade of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

Following the Republicans' weekly strategy session, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. talks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. McConnell took aim at President Obama who will be delivering his State of the Union address later. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Following the Democrats' weekly strategy session, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., talks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

(AP) ? Keeping the American dream alive has become "the defining issue of our time," President Barack Obama says. He's using Tuesday night's State of the Union address to draw a stark election-year line with Republicans over how to keep the United States from eroding further into a nation of haves and have-nots.

In excerpts of his speech released in advance, Obama attacked income equality and offered his own economic revival plan built upon boosting manufacturing, energy and education. He warned Republicans in Congress that he will fight them if they try to obstruct him or restore an economy gutted by "outsourcing, bad debt and phony financial profits."

Driving everything about the speech: Jobs, including Obama's own. He was essentially making his case for re-election as he spelled out where he wants to take the country.

Obama was making his pitch to a bitterly divided Congress and to a country underwhelmed by his handling of the economy. Targeting anxiety about a slumping middle class, Obama was calling for the rich to pay more in taxes. Every proposal was to be underlined by the idea that hard work and responsibility still count.

"No debate is more important," Obama said in the excerpts released by the White House ahead of the 9 p.m. EST speech.

"We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well while a growing number barely get by. Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share and everyone plays by the same set of rules," the president said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-24-State%20of%20the%20Union/id-87106c97777c4eeb915c123eeeadd35b

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