(NBCNC) - President Obama takes off on a five-state tour after laying out his vision for the nation last night.
In his "State of the Union" message, the president urged the rich to pay more taxes, businesses to keep jobs in the U.S. and Americans to work hard.
It's what he didn't mention that's got Republicans talking.
Not a word about the Keystone XL Pipeline that the President rejected after Republicans pushed for a quick decision. Democrats and Republicans sat together, but there were few points in this speech they both agreed on.
Mentioning the death of Osama Bin Laden brought bipartisan applause.
But the President quickly turned off Republicans with promises to ensure millionaires pay no less than 30% in taxes. "You can call this class warfare all you want. But asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary in taxes? Most Americans would call that common sense," said The President.
Promising to fight, President Obama announced a special group of prosecutors to investigate risky mortgages, and new opportunities for homeowners to save up to $3,000 a year by refinancing. "No more red tape. No more runaround from the banks. . . It's time to apply the same rules from top to bottom: No bailouts, no handouts, and no copouts," proclaimed President Barack Obama.
He pitched some efforts that failed before, ending oil subsidies, getting rid of underperforming teachers, and he warned colleges to put the brakes on rising tuition. "If you can't stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down," said President Obama.
That plus eliminating tax breaks for businesses that send jobs overseas -- paying for it all with savings from the Iraq war. "Use half of it to pay down our debt, and use the rest to do some nation-building right here at home," said The President.
Republicans call the President's ideas extreme. "No feature of the Obama Presidency has been sadder than its constant efforts to divide us, to curry favor with some Americans by castigating others," said Governor Mitch Daniels/ (R) Indiana
A blueprint promising progress for a divided nation.
NBCNC