obama s state of the union speech

U.S. President Barack Obama spoke to the country Tuesday night in the annual State of the Union address, an assessment of the nation's biggest issues, and a presentation that is usually draped heavily in rhetoric.

Before the speech, many analysts were afraid President Obama would make broad optimistic statements – while offering no concrete plans for improvement.

White House Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett said Tuesday morning that one of President Obama's main messages would be to highlight the new "bipartisan spirit" in Washington.