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Jamie Dupree's Washington Insider: White House signals focus on economy

While there will certainly be more than one issue discussed by President Obama in Tuesday night's State of the Union Address, the White House made clear in recent days that the signature focus of this speech will be on the economy.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama will focus his State of the Union address on boosting job creation and economic growth at a time of high unemployment, underscoring the degree to which the economy could threaten his ability to pursue second-term priorities such as gun control, immigration policy and climate change.

Last week, the President previewed the basic theme of his speech, telling House Democrats at a retreat that his political philosophy "starts with an economy that works for everybody."

Throughout my campaign, and throughout many of your campaigns, we talked about this bedrock notion that our economy succeeds and our economy grows when everybody is getting a fair shot and everybody is getting a fair shake and everybody is playing by the same rules. That we have an economy in which we?re growing a vibrant middle class -- that it grows from the middle out and the bottom up, not from the top down.

And over the next four years as I work with this caucus and every caucus, the question I will ask myself on every item, every issue is, is this helping to make sure that everybody has got a fair shot and everybody is doing their fair share, and everybody is playing by the same rules. Because I believe that is a growth agenda -- not just an equity agenda, not just a fairness agenda -- that is a growth agenda. That is when we have grown fastest.

And that means that what you?ll hear from me next week, I?m going to be talking about making sure that we?re focused on job creation here in the United States of America. (Applause.) It means that we?re focused on education and that every young person is equipped with the skills they need to compete in the 21st century. (Applause.) It means that we've got an energy agenda that can make us less dependent on foreign oil, but also that we?re cultivating the kind of clean energy strategy that will maintain our leadership well into the future.

It means that we?re going to talk about, yes, deficits and taxes and sequesters and potential government shutdowns and debt ceiling -- we?ll talk about that stuff, but all from the perspective of how are we making sure that somebody who works hard in this country -- a cop, or a teacher, or a construction worker, or a receptionist -- that they can make it if they work hard, and that their kids can make it and dream even bigger dreams than they have achieved.

But while the White House was handing out leaks in recent days that signaled a clear focus on economic issues, there was ample evidence of other issues that would be discussed as well - as some more liberal Democrats in Congress were making it clear what their top issue would be on Tuesday night - gun control.

"It is time to act on legislation to reduce gun violence," said Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), one of several dozen House Democrats who will bring a victim of gun violence as a guest to the State of the Union Address.

Himes' guest, Katrina Murphy of Bridgeport, was walking with her 3-year old daughter last summer when they were caught in the crossfire of a gun battle; the young girl was wounded, but has now fully recovered.

Another Democrat doing the same is Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI), who is bringing in the brother of a woman who was shot and killed during a convenience store robbery in Providence.

One would anticipate a Tuesday focus on the economy, gun violence, immigration reform, budget matters and more.

Whether it spurs activity in the Congress is another question.

Source: http://www.wsbradio.com/weblogs/jamie-dupree/2013/feb/10/white-house-signals-focus-economy/

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