President Delivers on State of the Union

President Obama addressed a relatively subdued chamber tonight. The partisan tension of the last year has clearly taken a toll. But, the man delivering the speech was more the Barack Obama who campaigned in 2008, than the man we saw during most of last year. He talked of changing government and setting a course to the future. He was frank about the painful price Americans have paid for the partisan wrangling in Washington. He appeared willing to step up to the challenge and work with people of all political persuasions. For over an hour, President Obama laid out a vision for the way forward and he likely connected with many of the Americans who stayed tuned for the entire address.

The President challenged his own party to shake off the past. He renewed his attack on budget bills that hide special projects called earmarks. He announced he will begin meeting with Republicans in Congress on a regular basis. Interestingly, he spent few minutes on health care. Most important, President Obama began acting on some of the promises made on cold days in Iowa before the caucuses. Chief among these was a call on Congress to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, allowing gay Americans the honor of serving openly in our Armed Services.

Tonight, Barack Obama was very much a President in charge and with a vision.

This entry was first published as a Des Moines Register blog entry.