Ailing Economy Expected To Dominate State Of Union Address

 (Washington, DC)  --  The ailing national economy is expected to dominate President Obama's first State of the Union address.
   The speech before Congress and the nation is scheduled tomorrow night.

   The nation's 44th president has been moving quickly to address the deepening recession.
   Last week, Obama signed a nearly 790-billion-dollar economic stimulus bill.
   It's aimed primarily at job creation and middle-class tax relief.

   Obama also unveiled a new housing rescue plan, committing up to 275-billion dollars to stem the mortgage foreclosure crisis and stabilize the housing market.
   In his State of the Union address, Obama is also expected to talk about health care reform, banking reform, Afghanistan, Iraq and global energy.

   Obama wants to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq within 16 months.
   He has also ordered an increase in U.S. troops to Afghanistan to help deal with Taliban and al-Qaeda insurgents.
   Seventeen-thousand additional U.S. troops will go to Afghanistan to join the roughly 38-thousand troops stationed there currently.

   On energy, Obama has been pushing hard for development of alternative energy sources to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

   Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal  will deliver the formal Republican response to the President's State of the Union address.
   Republicans were harshly critical of the economic stimulus bill.
   They argued it is full of wasteful spending and does not have enough tax cuts.
   Some key Republicans also blasted the Obama administration's housing rescue plan.
   Alabama Republican Senator Richard Shelby suggested it is aimed in the wrong direction.
   In a statement, Shelby said the President's plan "appears to help those who least need it and doesn't help those that do."



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