In a tradition dating back to the time of our Founding Fathers, President Barack Obama recently addressed Congress and the American people in the annual State of the Union address. For just over sixty minutes, the President reflected on progress made along several fronts including the economic crisis, overseas conflicts, as well as a number of other domestic issues. Armed with encouraging economic news from many sectors, the President was visibly pleased to point to a clear stabilization in our current economy, but, at the same time, expressed concern that unemployment remains at a disturbingly high level. During the Obama administration, Congress passed the Recovery Act, or stimulus bill, which included an extension of unemployment benefits and a lowering of income taxes for middle income wage earners. These actions, he maintained, have been largely responsible for the turn around.

The President, as he is known to do, cited specific individuals and businesses, which have benefited as a result of the Recovery Act. In a thinly veiled jab at the Republicans, he stated, “We can’t afford another so called economic expansion like the one from the last decade – what some call the lost decade – where jobs grew more slowly than during any prior expansion.” One could see Republican House Majority leader John Boehner squirming in his seat.

The President urged the American people to think beyond their own self-interests and brace for continued, and likely increased, sacrifice. He pointed to statistics, which show that foreign countries are outperforming American children on math and science achievement tests. He called for parents to become more involved and, at the same time, stressed rewarding good teachers and eliminating those not making the grade.

Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann speaking for the Tea Party had some strong words of advice for the President. Pointing to last November’s Democratic “shellacking” in the midterm elections, she made it clear that her party was intent on cutting the “… unprecedented explosion of government spending and debt”, while still abiding by the Tea Party pledge to follow the Constitution and cut the size of government. Details were lacking, but the vehemence certainly was not.

Wisconsin Republican Representative Paul Ryan delivered the official Republican Party response to President Obama’s address. His comments, however, were only slightly less confrontational. While acknowledging that the President “came into office facing a severe fiscal and economic situation”, he took the President to task over engaging in a spending spree, which has plunged America still further into debt. As Chairman of the House Budget Committee, he pledged to work with the President to restrain federal spending, but left little doubt that if policies do not change soon we may be facing unrest and crippling debt along the lines of those seen in Greece, Ireland, and other European nations. Ryan strongly argued that we must reclaim our American system of limited government with lower taxes and less regulation.