POLITICAL WORLD: President Obama's State of the Union Address

Last night, President Barack Obama presented his first State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress. Upon first glance, most viewers noticed the plethora of color in the audience. This speech was highly anticipated as President Obama's satisfaction ratings have continued to decrease since his inauguration.

I did not have the privelage of watching live, so instead I caught the video online today. If you weren't able to watch it live either, watch Parts 1 & 2 of the video below. You will notice he's looking a little grayer along the temples.





For those without a full hour of time, I will provide some breif cliff notes.

Of course the economy was the major focus. Some of his major points were:

- Fees to the larger banks to recurr the costs associated with the bank bailout.
- More support and tax breaks for small bussiness including the removal of capital tax gains
- Major increase in jobs through clean energy facilities, technological advancements, and infrastructure improvements
- Student loan debt forgiveness after 20 years, 10 years if you are a public servant
- Revitalization of community colleges, increase in Pell Grants, and $10,000 tax credit to parents with college students
- Childhood obesity greatly reduced
- Eliminate ineffective and expensive government programs
- Lobbyists must reveal every contact they make
- Rebates to homeowners who create more energy efficient homes

Whew! He had a lot of goals which I hope are all realized despite the difficulties he has experienced with Congress. I would especially appreciate the student loan program... I'm sure most Americans would!

*In a shallow point, the First Lady, Michelle Obama, looked absolutely regal and i loved when she instructed everyone to sit down.*

Catch more of the breakdown over at CNN.