State Of The Union Address 2012: Obama Speech Scheduled For Jan. 24

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will give his state of the union on Jan. 24, essentially launching his re-election year just as Republicans vote on which nominee they want to oust him from his job.

As tradition requires, House Speaker John Boehner invited the president to speak to a joint session of Congress. The White House accepted.

In a letter to the president, Boehner said Republicans "welcome the opportunity to hear your new ideas for working with Congress."

Obama is seeking re-election unopposed, but his address will fall between the pivotal South Carolina and Florida Republican presidential primaries.

The invitation also comes in the midst of a confrontational conclusion to the year's legislative work.

Obama and congressional Republicans are struggling to wrap up final business on spending bills and on an extension of a payroll tax cut before year's end.

Boehner said that as Congress and the White House try to accomplish all that, "we must also look ahead for new opportunities to put solutions before politics."

The speaker's office and the White House said they worked jointly to arrive at a date for the State of the Union speech. That contrasts with Obama's efforts in September to address Congress to pitch his jobs bill. At the time, Obama publicly asked for one date and Boehner countered by proposing another, leading to a test-of-wills between the president and the speaker. In the end, the president spoke on the day proposed by Boehner.

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Comments

[Jake DiCroce]

02:55 PM on 01/23/2012

Just an FYI you highlighted the state of Vermont when you were talking about the state of New Hampshire; getting someone that is capable of reading a map would be helpful.

[Iamrebelriser]

01:32 PM on 01/22/2012

Time for those who tend to vote Republican to take stock of what they would actually be supporting. According to which ever Republican you listen to or hear, their plan is to destroy Social Security & Medicare. Is this what you Tea Party Republicans want to happen in 2012? If you go ahead and vote RepublicanBagger, how do you think you will be held up by Social Security & Medicare when you finally figure out that you need it? We can tell you what you do not realize, that no matter how well endowed you may think you are now, it will not tide you over once you begin to need serious medical care in your later years. You need to consider these matters and your future survival, because if Republicans are able to put Social Security in the Stock Markets and it is lost in down swings and destroy Medicare with vouchers to limit you care, it would be pretty difficult to change it back to what will actually uphold the elderly 99%.

[Patsy Nomore]

11:17 AM on 01/17/2012

President Obama must regain the bully pulpit. To make it clear the year of clowning and Obama bashing must end NOW. The business of the people must be addressed.If you expect 4 more years to lead,your strength must be on display,front and center.

[KyuuAL]

03:20 AM on 01/17/2012

With Congress at historically low approval ratings, it is time for the President to give Congress a very good scolding at this center stage in front of the American public.

[ejveal]

01:20 PM on 01/13/2012

What time is it on (Pacific Standard)?

[kinogod]

09:03 AM on 12/15/2011

My gawd please not yet another homilies laden speech urging us to come together. It ain't gonna happen with this congress. How bout a little wood shed with our state if the union? How bout a lil truth serum with our SOTU? How about making the destructionists sit there for an hour and hear what they've done? But instead we will get empty rhetoric about how (with earnest delivery) "we're better than this.". No we're not. We are not better than this. There are actually dozens and dozens of corp enabling fools that are not better than this. No more home spun lincoln Fdr jibber jabber. Time for the spanking.

[fran-pan]

02:42 AM on 12/15/2011

It will be wonderful to speak about FORMER speaker Boehner.

[MrBadger]

12:54 AM on 12/15/2011

Obama has more people on the ground in Iowa than any OTHER Republican campaign??? :-)

[badman400]

12:37 AM on 12/15/2011

The end of an error. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Vote for the only man in the running who is courageous enough to stand up to politics as usual. Ron Paul 2012!

[Vapula]

12:03 AM on 12/15/2011

When Boehner and his confrontational buddies are gone maybe some work can get done.

[sifc33]

03:05 AM on 12/15/2011

Didn't Obama have the majority rule for the Senate and Congress when he came into office? How much "work" did he get accomplished then. I'm honestly just asking, not tro.ling. I guess I could just google it, do the search for me, or someone could easily enlighten me.

[Iamrebelriser]

01:35 PM on 01/22/2012

But Republicans were already fillibustering and stalling and the President was at that time, too concerned with getting along.

[DruDeadly]

09:25 PM on 12/14/2011

Republicans hold a perverse evil within that has yet to be explained.

[devildog09]

11:33 PM on 12/14/2011

Democrats hold a perverse belief that they have a monopoly on righteousness, and that everyone else is evil

[Vapula]

12:04 AM on 12/15/2011

No Democrats realize that Republicans, not everybody, is perversely evil. And perhaps can't read properly what is said.

[Iamrebelriser]

01:38 PM on 01/22/2012

No, Republicans with their evil intent to destroy this Administration have an evil FOX which is working to destroy the truth and fill not very smart minds with misinformation.

[rudy20gq]

09:11 PM on 12/14/2011

Mr Boehner needs to step down. I am a republican who is tired of the "Rep. VS Democarats" all while the nation is bleeding and hurting. Those parties should get it together and do what is right for the country and not what will self satisfy their own individual needs.
Too much corruption is halting this country.

[badman400]

12:40 AM on 12/15/2011

Agreed. There is ONLY a single man in the running who cares more about our country and its people, than he does for votes and money. RON PAUL! And he just happens to be a genius when it comes to economics, and he has been more consistent than most any politician in history, period! Ron Paul 2012!

[Giggie]

01:39 AM on 12/15/2011

I tend to like the man when he speaks because he doesn't pander to tea schleppers, but his policies are too extreme and would really hurt the most vulnerable. I don't think he is electable in a general election. No help for communities hurt by natural disasters. No foreign aid, no armed forces...wouldn't need them, get out of all foreign wars, (now that one I like). No government help for medical costs. It would just be a big wild west scenario, and in the end the country would be the worse for it. Government is needed to ensure that all citizens enjoy equal rights and opportunity. The country will not thrive unless there is a strong middle class and his policies would decimate the middle class.

[GloriaY]

09:04 PM on 12/14/2011

What a pity protocol demands that the President cannot refuse his invite.

[devildog09]

11:37 PM on 12/14/2011

Yet you would be outraged if Boehmer didn't extend an invitation. And you blame the politicians for not getting along? Ha.

[KathyinCT]

01:07 AM on 12/15/2011

Boehner had no choice..

It's like the inauguration -- you have to do it.

[MB1East]

08:50 PM on 12/14/2011

Obama appeases Boehner because he hates cry babies.

[badman400]

12:41 AM on 12/15/2011

obama embarrasses and humiliates our country and our world. He trashed the reputation of the Nobel Peace Prize as well. Everything he touches turns to ruin.

Ron Paul 2012!!!!!

[Iamrebelriser]

01:54 PM on 01/22/2012

Ron Paul is an incompetent politician who is only campaigning now, I hear, to give Tea Bagger in chief, very rt wing Rand Paul a leg up for the next elections. Rand is even more dangerous than Ron, and both are dangerous to our Constitution.

[dwedge]

06:48 PM on 12/14/2011

Mr Boehner I have a suggestion for you. On behalf on the Republic, resign as soon as possible and take as many members of the incompetent brotherhood as possible with you.