Obama to Push Spending on Energy, Roads, Schools

This will give GOP deficit hawk Paul Ryan plenty to talk about in his official response to President Obama's State of the Union address: The president will call for new spending in areas he says are critical to job growth and competitiveness, namely renewable energy, rebuilding roads, and revamping education, reports the Wall Street Journal. Obama will concede the need for cuts elsewhere, but they will likely fall short of GOP demands.

With Republicans in the House already pressing for significant spending reductions, Obama's speech on Tuesday will likely bring the debate into sharp relief. He'll try to make the case that while reducing the deficit is important, across-the-board cuts are too simplistic. He presaged the message yesterday with his appointment of GE chief Jeffrey Immelt to lead a jobs and competitiveness panel, notes the Journal. "We seek to do everything we can to spur hiring and ensure our nation can compete with anybody on the planet," Obama said.
(More State of the Union address stories.)