Obama says fight against Islamic State is not World War III

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama accused critics on Tuesday of playing into the hands of Islamic State by comparing the fight against the militant group to World War Three, in an address aimed at laying out an optimistic vision of America's future.

Obama, who is delivering his last State of the Union speech to Congress before leaving office next year, said it was fiction to declare the United States was in economic decline or getting weaker on the international stage, despite rhetoric from Republican presidential candidates vying to replace him in the Nov. 8 election.

"Masses of fighters on the back of pickup trucks and twisted souls plotting in apartments or garages pose an enormous danger to civilians and must be stopped. But they do not threaten our national existence," Obama said, according to prepared remarks.

"That's the story ISIL wants to tell; that's the kind of propaganda they use to recruit. We don't need to build them up to show that we're serious, nor do we need to push away vital allies in this fight by echoing the lie that ISIL is representative of one of the world's largest religions," he said, referring to Islamic State by an acronym.

The remarks were a repudiation of Republican criticism of his strategy against Islamic State and, not so subtly, of Republican front-runner Donald Trump's call to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the United States.

Obama's address comes as 10 sailors aboard two U.S. Navy boats were taken into Iranian custody. Iran told the United States the crew members would be "promptly" returned, U.S. officials said. The event gave Republicans further fodder to criticize Obama's nuclear deal with Tehran.

Obama did not address the issue at the top of his speech.

The address is one of Obama's few remaining chances to capture the attention of millions of Americans before November's election of a new president who will take office next January.

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who is delivering the Republican Party's response to Obama's address, will knock his record on fiscal and foreign policy while delivering a not-so-subtle jab at Republican presidential candidates such as Trump.

"During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices. We must resist that temptation. No one who is willing to work hard, abide by our laws, and love our traditions should ever feel unwelcome in this country," she will say, according to excerpts of her remarks.

Haley is the daughter of Indian immigrants.

Obama stuck to themes he hopes will define his legacy.

He emphasized areas where compromise was possible with Republicans in Congress including criminal justice reform, trade and poverty reduction.

He called for lawmakers to ratify a Pacific trade pact, advance tighter gun laws and lift an embargo on Cuba.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Obama: 'The shadow of crisis has passed'

REDWOOD CITY, California - A noticeably revitalized President Barack Obama appeared Tuesday night before the new GOP-led Congress to paint the state of the nation.

"America, for all that we’ve endured; for all the grit and hard work required to come back; for all the tasks that lie ahead, know this: The shadow of crisis has passed and the state of the Union is strong," he said.

Obama was buoyed by a growing US economy, increasing number of jobs, lower gas prices, and a job approval rating that’s the highest since the government shutdown in 2013.

By appealing to the needs of the middle class, Obama framed the political debate in the next two years.

"Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well? Or will we commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising incomes and chances for everyone who makes the effort?” he said.

Included in Obama’s proposals:

    Lower taxes for low income families
    Affordable child care
    Guaranteed paid sick and maternity leaves
    Equal pay for women
    Free community college education
    Higher wages

“To everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the minimum wage, I say this: If you truly believe you could work full time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, try it. If not, vote to give millions of the hardest working people in America a raise,” he said.

But to get these proposals to sail through Congress will be a challenge. The GOP-led Congress is blocking Obama’s recent orders including his executive action on immigration.

For his part, the president made it clear that he will take an offensive stance.

“We can’t put the security of families at risk by taking away their health insurance, or unraveling the new rules on Wall Street, or re-fighting past battles on immigration when we’ve got to fix a broken system. And if a bill comes to my desk that tries to do any of these things, i will veto it,” he said.

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa delivered the GOP’s response to the State of the Union.

She appeared to take a less combative stance by saying she will not respond to the speech, but alluded to Washington’s faults, saying Congress has its own solutions.

“Americans have been hurting,” she said. “But when we demanded solutions, too often Washington responded with the same stale mindset that led to failed policies like Obamacare. It’s a mindset that gave us political talking points, not serious solutions. That’s why the new Republican majority you elected started by reforming Congress to make it function again. And now, we’re working hard to pass the kind of serious job-creation ideas you deserve.”

President Obama said he is willing to work with Republicans. But the tone from both sides of the aisle seemed less than conciliatory.

As for the majority of the public, a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll shows people believe that a divided government does not work well for the country.

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source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Obama focuses on relief for working families

REDWOOD CITY, California - President Barack Obama has declared a full-on economic resurgence in this State of the Union (SOTU) address, with his approval rating rising for the first time in years and with more Americans showing more optimism for the economy.

A New Washington Post/ABC News poll showed that half of Americans said they approve of the job Obama is doing as president, his best rating since the spring of 2013. The poll also showed 41 percent of people think the economy is headed to the right direction, compared with 27 percent in October.

Besides highlighting the need to improve cybersecurity and to invest in infrastructure, the centerpiece of President Obama’s SOTU is middle-class economics, with a tax plan that addresses income inequality.

The plan provides extra money to low and middle-income families in the form of tax credits for children and working couples. It also increases taxes on upper-income taxpayers, particularly the one percent, through cutbacks and higher restrictions on savings. It is expected to raise $320 billion in revenue from wealthy Americans, while cutting middle class taxes by $175 billion.

He also pushes for lower mortgage insurance premiums that seek to help about two million borrowers save an average of $900 a year if they purchase or refinance their homes.

Another way Obama plans to help the middle-class is to provide free community college tuition, a 10-year plan costing $60 billion, which hopes to aid up to nine million students save an average of $3,800 a year.

The president also called on Congress to pass a bill that would require all U.S. companies to give employees seven days of paid sick leave a year.

President Obama, as expected, has already gotten some strong opposition from Republicans who control the House and Senate. In the past, the GOP leadership has been against increasing taxes and fees for the rich to reduce taxes for the middle class. For now, it remains to be seen if the president can manage to pull some strings as he strives to make a lasting impact in his last two years in office.

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source: www.abs-cbnnews.com