President Obama gave a hopeful State of the Union address to the nation Tuesday, lauding the power of the American people to find growth in the face of adversity. His speech portrayed an optimistic outlook on an America recovering from a recession; though in it he attacked income inequality and the gridlock in Washington. He reaffirmed his support for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and announced his intention to create two new units in the executive branch: one which would look over unfair foreign trade activity and another to more adequately investigate unsavory business practice here at home. The theme he repeated throughout his speech was that America moves forward together, and that Washington needs to begin working together again. This same thought was echoed by Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) in his Address to the Nation – which had a decidedly harsher view of America’s current situation and the results of Obama’s last three years.
