Tonight, January 25th, 2011, President Obama addressed all members of Congress (minus the recovering Congresswoman Giffords) in his 3rd annual State of the Union. The President used this opportunity as an attempt to build unity, acknowledge the Arizona tragedy, and in my opinion, to further promote his agenda. Obama threw the occasional bone to the right, but the majority of his words were laced with coded double-speak.

Among the topics Obama spoke on were deficit reduction, increased investment in education, green energy, technology, and an apparent willingness to listen to the Republicans on tweaks of his signature accomplishment, the new health care law. After sitting through this hour-long speech, I feel the need to give my own response.

The speech started out on a high note, with the President praising Speaker Boehner on his great accomplishment, as well as congratulations for all the new members of Congress. Unfortunately, things quickly took a turn for the worse. The first declaration out of President Obama's mouth once he wrapped up his feel-good "American family" rhetoric was a pronouncement that the lengthy recession which has plagued our economy for the better portion of the past 3 years, is over.