Live Blogging the President’s Address

A Memorable, Unusual Moment | 10:38 p.m. David Kirkpatrick notes a rare moment of confrontation. As Mr. Obama criticized the recent ruling on campaign finance, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. appeared to correct him.
(The justice’s reaction is captured on YouTube.)

When Mr. Obama declared that the ruling would open the floodgates to special interest spending on American elections, including foreign companies, Justice Alito broke with the justices’ usual decorum during such events and shook his head no, mouthing the words, “No, it’s not true.” In fact, though a dissenting opinion and some analysts argued that the opinion could imply a First Amendment right for foreign corporations to spend money on American campaign commercials, the majority opinion explicitly said it was not making that determination with this decision.

Republican Response | 10:28 p.m. Virginia Governor McDonnell appears before an audience to give the rebuttal to Mr. Obama’s speech. Mr. McDonnell was sworn in — as he just noted — a mere 11 days ago. “Today the federal government is trying to do too much,” Mr. McDonnell says, increasing the national debt for children and grandchildren. Here’s the full advance text“> of his speech.

To a few chuckles in the room, the governor reminds people to offer their ideas through Twitter and Facebook, a reminder that Republicans have demonstrated in recent months, via the election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts, that they’ve mastered reaching voters through social media.

‘Seize This Moment’ | 10:21 p.m. Mr. Obama ended the speech at 10:20 p.m. As he neared completion, it may have seemed as though the president was stating the obvious when he acknowledged facing political setbacks during his first year in office. “Some of them were deserved,” he said. He stopped short of accepting blame and did not dwell on his role in the shortcomings. Instead, he quickly sought to use one of the ultimate powers of the presidential megaphones: inspiration.

“We have finished a difficult year. We have come through a difficult decade. But a new year has come,” Mr. Obama said. “A new decade stretches before us. We don’t quit. I don’t quit. Let’s seize this moment – to start anew, to carry the dream forward, and to strengthen our union once more.”

Mr. Obama’s address clocked in just shy of 70 minutes. It was longer than the speeches typically delivered by President George W. Bush and a little shorter than those delivered by President Bill Clinton. It was nearly shorter than Mr. Obama’s first speech to a joint session of Congress on Feb. 24, 2009, when he spoke for 52 minutes.

Gays in the Military | 10:16 p.m. The president also renewed his call to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell.” He placed a timeframe on it, but it was not exactly clear whether the process would begin or end in 2010. “This year,” he said, “I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are.”

Little Talk of War | 10:11 p.m. For a nation embroiled in two wars, it is always striking to see the degree to which – year by year – the conflicts seem to play a smaller role in presidential speeches. The president said he would make good on his pledge to remove combat troops from Iraq by August. And he renewed his call to have the Afghanistan Security Forces begin taking the lead of their own protection in July 2011 – a date that many believe is an overly-optimistic one, considering the troop deployment is moving along slower than the White House had initially hoped.

Loss of Unity | 10:08 p.m. A quiet fell over the chamber, though, as Mr. Obama acknowledged that some of the national sense of unity after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, has gone away.

“We can argue all we want about who’s to blame for this, but I am not interested in re-litigating the past,” he said. Then, he added: “So let’s put aside the schoolyard taunts about who is tough. Let’s reject the false choice between protecting our people and upholding our values.”

No Perennial Campaigns | 10:02 p.m. He vowed not to give up on his quest to change the tone of politics in Washington, but conceded that it was an election year. He addressed last week’s Republican victory in Massachusetts with an admonition for both parties.

“To Democrats, I would remind you that we still have the largest majority in decades, and the people expect us to solve some problems, not run for the hills,” Mr. Obama said. “And if the Republican leadership is going to insist that sixty votes in the Senate are required to do any business at all in this town, then the responsibility to govern is now yours as well. Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it’s not leadership.”

The camera panned to Mr. McConnell, the minority leader, and Senator Jon Kyl, Republican of Arizona, both of whom sat motionless. Throughout the raucous House chamber, scattered boos echoed in the air. There were, however, no taunts or disruptions like the one from a speech he delivered in September when Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina shouted: “You lie!” (Mr. Wilson is in the audience tonight.)

Courting Independents? | 10:00 p.m. The challenges facing the administration over spending were clear by watching the reactions of Democrats and Republicans. The president seemed to be trying to get ahead of the argument, saying that Democrats will decry cuts in spending as hurting those who need help the most. And Republicans will simply call for more tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

The president all but thumbed his nose at Congress, saying: “Rather than fight the same tired battles that have dominated Washington for decades, it’s time to try something new.” With no applause, he quickly moved to his next line. “Let’s try common sense – a novel concept.”

Even if he doesn’t get his wish, did the message get delivered to independent voters?

Veto Power | 9:53 p.m. The president’s call to freeze spending on many domestic programs went over like something of a lead balloon. He offered a threat to Congress, saying: “If I have to enforce this discipline by veto, I will.”

Obama: Don’t Turn Back on Health Care | 9:47 p.m. Mr. Obama said the urgency for overhauling the health insurance system was greater than it had ever been, but he acknowledged that the longer the debate stretched out, the more skeptical people became. “I take my share of the blame for not explaining it more clearly to the American people. And I know that with all the lobbying and horse-trading, this process left most Americans wondering what’s in it for them.”

He drew applause from Republicans, though, when he said that Congress still faced the burden of improving the system. For the first time since losing the Democratic supermajority in the Senate – the death knell for health care – he called on Republicans to offer their own ideas for how to strengthen Medicare, bring down health costs and improve access to insurance. (Among those who stood and applauded were Senator Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, and Senator Olympia Snowe, who was wooed heavily by the president and Democrats.)

Was this a sign that Republicans now run the risk of being opposed to health care if at least some kind of bipartisan agreement isn’t reached?

“Do not walk away from reform. Not now. Not when we are so close,” Mr. Obama said. “Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people.”

Health Care Surfaces | 9:41 p.m. After 33 minutes, after a long riff on improving educational access for students, the president has made his way to health care. He concedes from the outset: “Now let’s clear a few things up: I didn’t choose to tackle this issue to get some legislative victory under my belt. And by now it should be fairly obvious that I didn’t take on health care because it was good politics.”

Dropping Down the Priority List | 9:40 p.m. If anyone was looking for a sign about the future of health care legislation, perhaps none is clearer than this: After 25 minutes, not a word has been uttered about the signature domestic initiative of Mr. Obama’s first year. The strategy now, aides to the president say, is to let the issue fall below the radar, become less radioactive and hope to resurrect a scaled-back version at some point. Remember when Senator Jim DeMint, Republican of South Carolina, said the issue would become the president’s Waterloo?

Climate Change Push | 9:35 p.m. John Broder reports:

The president urged Congress to enact comprehensive energy and climate change legislation that he said will create jobs, cut oil imports and reduce emissions of the heat-trapping gases that contribute to the warming of the planet.

The term “comprehensive” has until now signaled some form of cap-and-trade measure under which the government sets a ceiling on greenhouse gas emissions and allows companies to buy and sell permits to meet it. But such legislation is far from the 60 votes needed to assure passage in the Senate and supporters are struggling to produce a package of measures that can win bipartisan backing. Mr. Obama is encouraging Senate efforts at a compromise that could include new incentives for oil and gas development, accelerated construction of nuclear plants and new funding for research on so-called clean coal to win Republican votes.

Cap and trade may – or may not – be part of that ultimate deal.

The president linked his ambitions for energy and climate legislation to the creation of jobs and American competitiveness in emerging clean energy technologies.

“I know there have been questions about whether we can afford such changes in a tough economy; and I know that there are those who disagree with the overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change,” Mr. Obama said. “But even if you doubt the evidence, providing incentives for energy efficiency and clean energy are the right thing to do for our future – because the nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy. And America must be that nation.”

How Long Can Change Wait? | 9:32 p.m. Here comes the pivot, where the president tries to step outside the box of Washington and outline ways he believes the city is broken. (His approval ratings are higher than Congress, so he stands to gain by this line of argument.) “From the day I took office, I have been told that addressing our larger challenges is too ambitious – that such efforts would be too contentious, that our political system is too gridlocked, and that we should just put things on hold for awhile,” he said. “For those who make these claims, I have one simple question: How long should we wait?”

Bipartisan Cheers! | 9:27 p.m. When Mr. Obama called for the elimination of capital gains taxes on small business investment, the Republican side of the chamber rose to their feet to applaud.

A Future Ad? | 9:26 p.m. There was a bad visual — for Senator Harry Reid — who was caught by the cameras stifling a yawn as Mr. Obama talked about steps taken to save jobs. They are going to love that back in Nevada, where he’s battling to retain his seat.

No Bipartisan Clapping? | 9:25 p.m. In a somewhat awkward moment, Republicans didn’t seem to know whether to applaud – or not – as he talks about recovering most of the money from the unpopular bank bailout. (That, of course, is probably what the White House was aiming for.) It was not a good visual for Republicans, who also stayed seated – and silent – as the president ticked through a list of tax cuts. Mr. Obama noticed it himself and tried to turn it into a punch line, smiling as he said he thought he would get at least a little bipartisan applause.

Root Canal Bailout | 9:19 p.m. “We all hated the bank bailout,” Mr. Obama said to applause, adding the financial boost to big banks was a popular as “root canal.”

No Quitters | 9:16 p.m. The first applause line – where Democrats and Republicans rose to their feet – came as Mr. Obama struck a tone of inspiration. “I have never been more hopeful about America’s future than I am tonight,” he said. “Despite our hardships, our union is strong. We do not give up. We do not quit.”

Americans love optimism – great presidents and politicians have always realized that, Ronald Reagan being the best example. And this speech starts off with a big burst of optimism before wading into the serious matters of the night.

It’s the Economy, First | 9:14 p.m. He wastes little time getting to the economic anxieties of the nation, saying: “One year later, the worst of the storm has passed, but the devastation remains.” He concedes that change has not come fast enough to many corners of America.

The beginnings | 9:13 p.m. Mr. Obama, after nearly five minutes of applause, begins speaking at 9:11 p.m. He begins with a lesson of history, seeking to place in context the current challenges facing the country. “America prevailed,” he said, “because we chose to move forward as one nation and one people.”

Advance Text | 9:12 p.m. Here is a copy of the president’s speech, released in advance by the White House.

Applause for Obama | 9:09 p.m. President Obama entered the chamber at 9:06 p.m., after the House Sergeant at Arms called out, “The President of the United States.” In a red tie – his signature color for big speeches – he shook hands with Republicans and Democrats alike who lined the aisle. (He paused for a while to chat with Mr. Geithner, who clearly had a tough day on the Hill.) Mr. Obama greeted Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. and other Supreme Court justices on hand as he was gently urged to make his way to the rostrum to begin speaking.

First Lady Waves | 8:59 p.m. Michelle Obama has just arrived in the first lady’s box, where an array of guests will sit at her side during the speech. This is a gift from the Reagan administration, where every president since Mr. Reagan has invited ordinary Americans that help tell the story of the president’s message. Two police officers from the Fort Hood shooting are among several military representatives on hand. Others include a Republican mayor from Oklahoma and a mother of two who lost her health care.

There were handshakes and smiles all around between the Cabinet and lawmakers — a far different scene than only a few hours ago, when Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was on the hot seat over the bailout of the American International Group.

Is It Done Yet? | 8:55 p.m. Is the speech finished? Now it is, but aides said the president was still putting the final touches on it not long ago. The text of the address was set to be released by the White House at 8:30 p.m., but one aide said it was delayed because of last minute tweaks.

Biden’s in the House | 8:41 p.m. Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. arrives in the chamber a few moments after Speaker Nancy Pelosi gavels the House to order. He strides down the center aisle to a warm welcome from many of his former colleagues. He is traveling to Florida on Thursday with President Obama as they take their job-creation message on the road.

Obama and the Supreme Court ruling | 8:31 p.m. David Kirkpatrick notes this part of Mr. Obama’s speech that doesn’t seem quite right:

The president appeared to have mischaracterized the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn restrictions on corporate-paid political commercials by suggesting that the decision invited political advertisements by foreign companies, too.

“Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests – including foreign companies – to spend without limit in our elections,” the president said, according to early excerpts of his speech released by the White House.

“Well I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, and worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people, and that’s why I’m urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong.”

But in his majority opinion in the case, Citizens United vs. the Federal Election Commission, Justice Anthony Kennedy specifically wrote that the opinion did not address the question of foreign companies. “We need not reach the question of whether the government has a compelling interesting in preventing foreign individuals or associations from influencing our Nation’s political process,” he wrote. The court held that the First Amendment protected the right of American corporations to spend money on independent political commercials for or against candidates. Some analysts or observers have warned that the principle could open the door to foreign corporations as well.

President Obama called for new legislation to prohibit foreign companies from taking advantage of the ruling to spend money to influence American elections. But he’s too late; Congress passed the Foreign Agents Registration Act in 1996, which already prohibits independent political commercials by foreign nationals or foreign companies.

On Capitol Hill | 8:27 p.m. Sewell Chan reports from the Capitol building that members of the president’s Cabinet, including Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, have begun arriving in advance of the president.

The Republican Rebuttal | 8:25 p.m. Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia, elected last November, is delivering the Republican Party’s response. He intends to argue that “the federal government is simply trying to do too much.” His prepared remarks call for “cooperation, not partisanship.” Read the full advance text.

Origins of the Speech Update | 8:05 p.m. So why is this President Obama’s first State of the Union address? What about the speech he delivered on Feb. 24, 2009, when he stood at the very same spot on the floor of the House of Representatives and presented his plans for the year?

That was merely an address to a joint session of Congress, which new presidents typically deliver. But a formal State of the Union address is only delivered after a president serves a full year in office and reports back to Congress and the American people on the – how should be put this – the state of the union.

It could be noted, however, that Mr. Obama was in the audience for four previous State of the Union addresses, all of which were delivered by President George W. Bush.

In 2005, Mr. Obama received scant attention as a freshman senator. The next year, he received a little more, lingering in the chamber longer than he did the year before, and doing a round of television interviews. By 2007, he was already running for president. And in 2008, there was a must-see moment, when Mr. Obama slowly turned his head away from Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton – his Democratic rival – when she arrived in the chamber.

Two years later, Mrs. Clinton is in London on State of the Union night, on assignment as Mr. Obama’s secretary of state.

Strength Through Challenges | 7:15 p.m. In his State of the Union address tonight, President Obama will acknowledge the challenges facing Americans, but declare: “Despite our hardships, our union is strong.”

“We face big and difficult challenges,” Mr. Obama will say, according to excerpts from his speech. “And what the American people hope – what they deserve – is for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to work through our differences; to overcome the numbing weight of our politics.”

The White House has just released a few highlights from tonight’s address, which are intended to help shape the pre-game news coverage of the speech. (And, of course, to whet the appetites of clamoring reporters, members of Congress and others scattered around Washington.)

This opens our coverage, where we will be following the events of the evening as they happen. A team of correspondents from the New York Times are on Capitol Hill and not far away in the newspaper’s Washington Bureau to report, dissect and analyze Mr. Obama’s first State of the Union address.

Check back here for updates as the night rolls along on this live blog.

But first, here are a few more passages of the speech, with full text of the excerpts here.

Seldom do excerpts contain the top lines-of-the-night or offer the possibility to measure the full context of the message. So we’ll have to wait until the speech begins at 9 p.m. Eastern for a complete picture, but here is a bit of flavor for what’s to come:

“By the time I’m finished speaking tonight, more Americans will have lost their health insurance. Millions will lose it this year. Our deficit will grow. Premiums will go up. Co-pays will go up. Patients will be denied the care they need. Small business owners will continue to drop coverage altogether. I will not walk away from these Americans. And neither should the people in this chamber.” ….

“Rather than fight the same tired battles that have dominated Washington for decades, it’s time for something new. Let’s try common sense. Let’s invest in our people without leaving them a mountain of debt. Let’s meet our responsibility to the people who sent us here.” ….

“To do that, we have to recognize that we face more than a deficit of dollars right now. We face a deficit of trust – deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works that have been growing for years. To close that credibility gap we must take action on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to end the outsized influence of lobbyists; to do our work openly; and to give our people the government they deserve.” …

“But we cannot stop there. It’s time to require lobbyists to disclose each contact they make on behalf of a client with my Administration or Congress. And it’s time to put strict limits on the contributions that lobbyists give to candidates for federal office. Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests – including foreign companies – to spend without limit in our elections. Well I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, and worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people, and that’s why I’m urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong.” …

“I’m also calling on Congress to continue down the path of earmark reform. You have trimmed some of this spending and embraced some meaningful change. But restoring the public trust demands more. For example, some members of Congress post some earmark requests online. Tonight, I’m calling on Congress to publish all earmark requests on a single website before there’s a vote so that the American people can see how their money is being spent.”