WASHINGTON (RNN) - After weeks of pummeling by Republican presidential candidates, it was President Barack Obama's turn on Tuesday to lay out his agenda and perhaps convince the public he deserves another four years in office during the annual State of the Union address.
"Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward and lay out a blueprint for an economy that's built to last - an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers and a renewal of American values," the president said during his third report on the nation's progress.
[Click here to view the guest list for the first lady's box at the State of the Union address]
During his last State of the Union before the 2012 presidential election, Obama laid out a plan that includes growing American manufacturing and reforming the nation's tax code.
"Tonight, my message to business leaders is simple: Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed," he said.
Obama said it is within the nation's reach to have "an economy built to last, where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded." And according to the president, the defining issue of our time is how to keep the promise of the American dream alive.
"No challenge is more urgent. No debate is more important," he said.
"We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well while a growing number of Americans 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 also addressed developing alternative energy sources beyond the nation's fossil fuel supply, saying American oil production is at it's highest in eight years, while American oil consumption in 2011 was lower than it had been in 16 years.
"With only 2 percent of the world's oil reserves, oil isn't enough," he said. "This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy - a strategy that's cleaner, cheaper and full of new jobs."
Claiming America has a national gas supply that could last 100 years, Obama pledged to safely develop it as an energy source, saying it would support 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade.
"America will develop this resource without putting the health and safety of our citizens at risk," he said.
He also called upon Congress to fund infrastructure improvements that would boost construction jobs.
"Take the money we're no longer spending at war, use half of it to pay down our debt and use the rest to do some nation-building right here at home," he said.
Obama called upon states to require students to stay in school until they graduate or turn 18. He also called on Congress to help double the number of work-study jobs in the next five years and to send him a bill that would create a path to legal citizenship for students from other countries studying at American universities.
"As soon as they get their degree, we send them home to invent new products and create new jobs somewhere else. That doesn't make sense," he said.
"Let's at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new businesses and defend this country. Send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their citizenship. I will sign it right away."
The president also took direct aim at universities, saying it's their responsibility to help keep tuition costs down.
"If you can't stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down," he said. "Higher education can't be a luxury - it's an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford."
Obama put forth a plan to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans, dubbed the "Warren Buffet rule," so called because "Warren Buffet pays a lower tax rate than his secretary." Under the plan, Americans making more than $1 million would pay at least 30 percent in taxes.
"You can call this class warfare all you want. But asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary in taxes? Most Americans would call that common sense," he said.
While touting the end of the Iraq war and noting that "we've begun to wind down the war in Afghanistan," Obama pledged to "safeguard America's own security against those who threaten our citizens, our friends and our interests," taking square aim at Iran.
"Let there be no doubt: America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal. But a peaceful resolution of this issue is still possible and far better," he said.
Related Stories:
Copyright 2012 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
President Barack Obama delivers his third State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress. (Source: CNN)
Obama greets Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-OH, before beginning his address, which is critical of the GOP. (Source: CNN)
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-AZ, embraces Obama as he made his way to the podium. (Source: CNN)
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and Toledo News Now, a Raycom Media Station. 
