now turning it over to wolf blitzer, he's in "the situation room." wolf. jake, thanks very much. happening now, we're only a few hours away from president obama's state of the union address. it could be a make or break chance to sell a second-term agenda. athlete jitters. some u.s. athletes and their families wonder if they should travel to the sochi games in russia. i'll speak live this hour with the house homeland security chairman michael mccaul who is just back from russia and he shares their concerns. and senator john mccain will join me as well. we'll talk about the state of the union, the state of the war in afghanistan and much more. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." in a few hours from now president obama will stand before the world to take his case for a second-term agenda.

he'll let congress know that he's prepared to act alone and he's already acted it today, ordering a raise for federal workers. we have full coverage beginning with our senior white house correspondent jim acosta. jim? >> reporter: wolf, as of about 30 minutes ago, a senior white house official says they are still working on the speech but it will be ready by 9:00 tonight. another officil that i spoke with in the last 24 hours said that you should expect a few surprises in this speech and the president will use executive authority powers more than he ever has before and talk about that capacity in this speech tonight. one of those things we've already heard about today, he's going to talk about how he's going to urge the federal government to have a new minimum wage of $10.10 for federally contracted workers. that will be a part of his overall push for that minimum

wage to go up to $10.10 for the rest of the country. that has prompted some cries from republicans in congress that the president has overstepped his authority but i had a chance earlier today, wolf, to talk to the domestic policy adviser to this president, cecelia munoz. she says the president does have the authority. >> we know that the american people are strongly supporting the minimum wage. this is about making sure that people who work hard and play by the rules can make enough to support their families. that's why the president is calling on congress to raise the wage for the workforce. it's clearly a good value for the taxpayer dollar. >> you feel you have the authority? >> yes. >> and it's important to point out that that does not apply to current federal workers but just future federally contracted workers. meanwhile, a white house official tells me that they will

be tilted towards agendas and one thing that you should hear obviously tonight is a big push on immigration but just listening to white house officials over the last several weeks, of course, i think we can expect to hear the president make another push for an extension of those long-term unemployment benefits on the foreign policy side i think it would be a big surprise if this president does not say to congress, do not pass new sanctions on iran. that's been a big priority for the white house over the last few weeks. >> he's often suggested that if they were to pass legislation, he would veto it. let's talk a little bit about his signature legislative achievement, affordable care act, obamacare. we suspect he'll say something about that tonight, right? >> that's right. i think it's probably a sure bet at this point, wolf, that the president will acknowledge that there has been a problem or two with the rollout of obamacare. we saw that in the last few months of last year. it was a big fiasco for this white house. one thing we're going to see in

the first lady's box later on this evening, kentucky democrat steve beshear. he's expanded medicare on behalf of obamacare and the president is going to point to mr. beshear as an example of that and he's going to say, why haven't you done the same, why haven't you expanded medicaid as a part of obamacare. i think we'll see that tonight, wolf. >> we certainly will, thank you, jim acosta. the president's approval rating may be close to an all-time low but harry reid is calling on democrats to rally around the president. he spoke exclusively with dana bash who is joining us now from capitol hill. so what was his main point, dana? >> reporter: well, you know, wolf, harry reid is probably going to be the one democrat here tonight who has as much maybe even more at stake than the president himself and that

is the entire control of the united states senate. he is, of course, the senate majority leader and the big push this year by republicans, the big prize is to take control of the senate. and the audience tonight will be more than a handful of endangered senate democrats. many of them believe that president obama is a liability in their home state. you might think that reid will encourage them to distance themselves from the president but ice doing just the opposite. >> any time the president of the united states appears supporting a candidate, it helps. ronald reagan hurt me by coming to the state all the time. barack obama is personally a very popular guy and people love this man. they love his family. of course, with what the republics have been doing, with the rollout of obamacare.

>> so you would encourage some of your most vulnerable democratic candidates to stand with president on this? >> yes, i will. >> it's interesting, one of the first people was bill clinton. >> but he's from arkansas. that's different. president obama, you know, lost these states by huge margins, even the last election when he won the presidency. >> well, barack obama is a good person to campaign for anybody. >> reporter: now, in addition to that, the big news that you talked about with jim acosta, so far that we know out of the president's speech tonight will be that he is going to be more aggressive on using his executive power. reid told me that is something that he and his fellow democrats urge the president to do in a private meeting at the white house and said that it's absolutely necessary to overcome what he has said over and over again is republican

obstructionism in the senate. >> dana bash, thank you. can the president count on fellow democrats? let's discuss with our cnn political commentator, ryan lizza, the washington correspondent for the new yorker magazine and s.e. cupp. the democratic candidate in wisconsin running against scott walker, the president is going on a road trip later this week to sell what he's going to say tonight. he's going to wisconsin. she announced today she's busy. she isn't going to be with the president this week. what does that say to you? >> well, wisconsin is not north carolina or some of these other states that dana was just talking about with harry reid. a midwestern state where obama won by 52%, there are polls out this week he's not that unpopular there and she's in a little bit of a tough race against the incumbent governor.

it's puzzling why she's avoiding president obama. >> kay hagen was busy, mary landrieu was busy. there seems to be a trend. let me move on. i know where you stand and read to you -- >> of course i would. >> read to you what john boehner said in the face of these threats coming from the president, taking unilateral executive action if the congress won't act. he said this. "the idea that he's going to go it alone, i have to remind him that we have a constitution and the congress writes the laws and the president's job is to execute faithfully and if he tries to ignore this he's going to run into a brick wall." this wouldn't the first president to execute an order. >> that's right. we all remember, i will not negotiate. this isn't new. the strange thing is, today on

the very day that new progress was announced on immigration reform, we may have an agreement on the farm bill and just a month and a half after paul ryan and patty murray reached an agreement on the budget, the president isn't taking tonight as an opportunity to say, congrats, congress, i probably got the progress that i asked for. he's taking this opportunity to scold them to say, i don't need you. i'm working around you. it strikes, i think, a terrible tone and i think it's off the mark and a missed opportunity. >> you helped him write these kinds of speeches. is he going to reach out, do you suspect, to the republicans or just threaten them with these executive orders? >> look, i think he's going to talk about two things. he's talking about the bills that are possible to pass and things he can do on his own. minimum wage is something that he's going to talk about under executive order and tax reform

and other issues that he thinks is possible to get movement with congress on. the idea that this is some kind of a scold, the president is going to use the power that congress has given him over the past century. if they have a problem that the president is using broad executive authority, you can't take it up with the state of the union. >> he's getting closer and closer to a potential deal on immigration reform. he won't have everything that the democrats want but john boehner says they want something for their own partisan reasons because that's important for them. >> s.e. made a good point. there's this glimmer over the congress and from the prestate of the union leaks is all about executive authority, playing down expectations about what to get out of congress. i will make a prediction. i don't think it's going to be barack obama coming before congress saying, i'm giving up on you. i'm just going to use my pen and write executive orders. i think a lot of the conversation over the last week is what the white house wanted us to be talking about and they

are seeing some surprises in the speech and tomorrow we'll be talking about his legislative agenda. >> jon, give us a flavor behind the scenes in the hours before a speech like this, what is the president doing? >> if there are no more last-minute edits -- >> i don't think there were. >> there are always a few things that tend to pop up. there are agencies that seem to exist solely to have thoughts at the last minute. but for the most part, this is the final moments. the president might be doing some speech prep himself. >> because every department wants a nice little plug or whatever. it's important whether the department of housing or urban health or whatever. >> this is their moment to shine. >> who used that process the most when you were there? >> we would all help and pitch in in the revising of this thing but it is inevitably a speech that gets longer and longer and

longer as more and more parts of the government get to weigh in. >> they always say it's going to be more concise and it never is. >> the laundry list bothers the pundits. >> we pay attention to everything he says but millions and millions out there, some of it may actually sound new. >> and a piece of great rhetoric. the laundry list ruins it, doesn't it, as a speechwriter? >> fortunately, the speech is not directed at you and the various reporters looking to be inspired. it's a rare moment where this panel doesn't really get much of a say because 50 million people are going to be watching. >> ryan lizza, s.e. cupp, jon lovett, thank you for being here. stay tuned for more about the state of the union address and our special coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. eastern tonight. up next, anxious athletes. some olympians and their families worried about the

terror threat in sochi. i'll speak about that and more with michael mccaul after visiting russia he shares their concerns. ♪ [ male announcer ] what kind of energy is so abundant, it can help provide the power for all this? natural gas. ♪ more than ever before, america's electricity is generated by it. exxonmobil uses advanced visualization and drilling technologies to produce natural gas... powering our lives... while reducing emissions by up to 60%. energy lives here. ♪

afghanistan, in 2009. orbiting the moon in 1971. [ male announcer ] once it's earned, usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection. and because usaa's commitment to serve current and former military members and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve. how much money do you think you'll need when you retire? then we gave each person a ribbon to show how many years that amount might last. i was trying to, like, pull it a little further. [ woman ] got me to 70 years old. i'm going to have to rethink this thing. it's hard to imagine how much we'll need for a retirement that could last 30 years or more. so maybe we need to approach things differently, if we want to be ready for a longer retirement. ♪

if we w♪nt to be ready for a longer retirement. ♪ ♪ told ya you could do it. (dad vo) i want her to be safe. so, i taught her what i could and got her a subaru. (girl) piece of cake. ♪ (announcer) love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. ♪ [ male announcer ] bob's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today his doctor has him on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen.

with russia already facing an upsurge of terrorism and islamic militants warning of more attacks to come, many athletes and their families are increasingly worried about attending the sochi olympic games despite a so-called ring

of steel around the games. our brian todd has been looking into all of this. >> reporter: to go or not to go? each athlete, each family faces a tough question. the national hockey league says it's still committed to sending its players to sochi. but a tomorrow nhl official told the associated press, if something happens between now and february 9th, quote, we will re-evaluate. >> for a high-ranking official of the nhl to acknowledge publicly that they've had the thought process of pulling their athletes back if something happens, i am kind of surprised that that rhetoric is out there. >> reporter: hockey officials are certainly not alone among participants in discussing the security concerns. in recent days, we've heard growing anxiety among athletes and their families over the prospect of traveling to sochi. the family of crosscountry skier roberto is staying home. >> it was a hard decision for us just not to come. >> i asked, look, is it going to

stress you out for us being there and he said yes. >> reporter: but the mother of kyle speedskater says it will not stop her. >> i do not have thoughts of not going. no, not going to let terrorists steal it. >> reporter: congressman pete king says if he were given tickets to go, he would not go. >> reporter: militant groups have posted videos threatening to target the games. the attack during the munich olympics is a thought that worries people. still, american athletes have been warned not to wear their team usa gear outside of the olympic venue. brian todd, washington. >> let's dig deeper now with republican congressman michael mccaul of texas. congressman, thanks very much for coming in.

you have just came back from russia. these are the most serious threats to an olympic game you've ever seen. what's your deepest concern? >> a suicide bomber. i think the proximity to where the terrorists are in the northern caucuses and most recently the top al qaeda leader calling for attacks. this thing is ratcheting up, not ratcheting down. the perimeter of my judgment is very secure from a military standpoint. what i think is vulnerable are the soft targets outside of the olympic village. if they can hit those, it's still a victory for the terrorists. >> would you let your loved ones go to sochi? >> i think there's a real security concern but if we don't send our athletes and don't attend and support them, then we let the terrorists win. and i think that's the worst thing that could happen. >> you think the russians are up

to the job of making sure that everyone is safe? >> i would like to see better cooperation. i know that the diplomatic security services working with the fbi, homeland security. but quite honestly, intelligent sharing is not what it used to be. there are. gentlemaning devices for ieds for weapons of choice for these terrorists and i'd like to see better cooperation between us and the russians but i can tell you that president putin is throwing every resource he has because there's so much as stake. the eyes of the world are going to be on these games. and these chechen rebels know that and they want to make a political statement to the world against the russians and that's what it at stake here. >> and the fact that the athletes and their family members, other spectators, fans who are going are being told, you know what, maybe you shouldn't wear any american flags, anything suggesting that you're an american, that's so sad to hear that but that's a

fundamental fact if you want to be safe, don't advertise that you're an american citizen. >> well, i do think that their beef is more with the russians than the americans and i would not, if i was over there and my loved ones, i would not go outside the ring of steel, as putin puts it. i would stay within the olympic village and not go outside. >> and as far as precautionary measures, erring on the side of the u.s., do you believe that the u.s. security services within limits of what russia allows the u.s. to do, have they done everything, have they worried about the so-called worst case scenario? >> yes, we have contingency plans that is manned by our officials. we do have carriers in the black sea that could respond in the event of an attack, an emergency response-like situation. remember, this is russia.

it's a sovereign nation. they have a lot of nationalistic pride so the cooperation is probably not as good as it should be because the russians feel that they have it under control and they don't need our help. >> congressman michael mccaul, let's hope that none of this happens and it's smooth sailing all the way through. thanks very much for joining us. >> thanks for having me. i hope it's safe and successful. >> yeah, we certainly do. coming up here in "the situation room," in last year's state of the union address, the president said that this year, 2014, would see the end of the u.s. war in afghanistan. we're going to get a reality check about what is going on. i'll talk about the state of the union and more with senator john mccain. stay with us. you're in "the situation room." ? there's nothing like being your own boss! and my customers are really liking your flat rate shipping. fedex one rate. really makes my life easier. maybe a promotion is in order.

good news. i got a new title. and a raise? management couldn't make that happen. [ male announcer ] introducing fedex one rate. simple, flat rate shipping with the reliability of fedex.

the president got big applause at last year's state of the union address when he announced that half of the troops would return in 2013 and this year would see the end of the u.s. combat role in afghanistan. >> tonight i can announce that over the next year another

34,000 american troops will come home from afghanistan. this drawdown will continue and by the end of the next year, our war in afghanistan will be over. >> so where does the u.s. stand right now? let's check in with our pentagon correspondent barbara starr. barbara, so what are you hearing over there about the war being over in afghanistan for the united states at the end of this year? >> well, technically combat may be over for u.s. troops but the whole idea has been to leave several u.s. thousand troops behind to help train afghan forces but now the alliance is dealing with reports out of afghanistan that karzai is blaming the u.s. for several insurgent attacks. insurgent attacks. this has annoyed the top general so much that he's issued an extraordinary statement. he says, "any suggestion that the u.s. has been involved in

any way in suicide attacks or deliberate attacks on afghanistans is ludicrous. the u.s. and coalition forces never target civilians and we have spent 12 years trying to bring peace and stability to afghanistan. to suggest otherwise does a grave disservice to those who have sacrificed." general dunford is in washington. >> comments from hamid karzai, pretty shocking, i must say. what are the various options about keeping the troops in afghanistan starting in 2015? >> well, there are several options on the table, we are told. the top one that the pentagon is supporting to keep 10,000 troops there, at least until the obama administration is over. early 2017. of course, it would be up to a new president to decide what to do next. another option, less than 3,000 troops.

the military is opposed to that, saying that doesn't give them enough to conduct missions, the kind of training they want to do and still have enough security to protect themselves. so, of course, the other option on the table, all troops withdrawn, all troops out of afghanistan by the end of 2014. >> barbara starr, with those three options, thanks very much. let's bring in republican senator john mccain of arizona. he's a key member of the arm foreign services committee and he's returned from afghanistan recently. which of those options do you like, senator? >> first of all, i like it and the afghan people would like it if the president ever talked about success, if the president ever talked about the requirements for withdraw as far that is concerned and all the afghan people hear is, we are leaving, we're leaving. we refuse to say how many troops we want to leave behind. they are still refusing to say

publicly how many troops they want to leave behind so therefore -- and by the way, i make no apology for karzai and his paranoia. it's outrageous what he's said and even more outrageous that he's about to release some prisoners that are being held that are directly responsible for the deaths of americans and that is outrageous. but there's reasons for his paranoia because he saw the iraq movie where we went down and down and down and never gave a number nor a commitment to iraq, just as with the president, all he ever talks about is leaving. i think most any strategist will tell you is you don't talk about dates. you talk about degrees of success and parameters for leaving. and so all i can say is that it's outrageous what karzai is trying to do. and so what do we need to do? we need to just say, okay, we'll wait until after the elections

when they have a new president and we'll make the arrangements then, which means an enduring presence and not a date for withdrawal because we've seen what happened in iraq. >> how many troops do you think we need to keep in afghanistan long term? >> probably around 10,000 u.s. and 3 or 4,000 nato allies. that's a bare minimum. i would frankly like to see a little more but i would accept that. previous general allen had said that they needed 20,000. but the fact is, it's not so much when you leave, it's how you leave and haven't we learned from iraq the disaster that's taking place? wolf, 96 american soldiers and marines were killed in the battle of falluja, 600 wounded and now al qaeda flags are flying over falluja. isn't that a shameful commentary and what do you tell the families of those young men and

women -- the young men who were sacrificed in the battle of falluja? you're seeing that movie again in afghanistan. >> i want to move on to iran. i suspect the president will say something about iran tonight, this interim six-month deal and strongly urging congress not to pass additional sanctions during the course of these next six months, warning he'll veto that legislation if it were to come to him. you support this legislation, right? >> of course. just as i supported the last set of economic sanctions, which everybody now acknowledges worked in harming the iranian economy to the degree that they came to the table. that was objected to by the president and this administration. those sanctions. and none of us can quite understand why the threat of renewed sanctions if it fails after six months would in any way be harmful unless the iranians want to drag out and

drag out and drag out these conversations until the point where they are ready and could i finally say that the iranians have already announced that they should have the right to enrich. there is no reason to have the right to enrich unless they want to continue their path toward nuclear weapons. >> the other day you were getting ready to say, i thought jimmy carter was bad but he pales in comparison to this president, in my view. i want you to elaborate and tell us why you said that. >> look at the map of the middle east in january of 2009 and look at the map today. i think you'll find that it's fastly differe vastly different. look at the speech that the president gave in cairo in 2009, beginning with the failure to even speak up for those protesting and being slaughtered in the streets of tehran after a corruption. this zeal for withdrawal, a

failure of leadership, a lack of leadership, a lack of commitment and you look at virtually every country you could go from libya all the way across and all the way around and i think you will find that the situation has deteriorated very badly. and despite what the president says about al qaeda, al qaeda is on the rise dramatically on the rise. look at the number of terrorist attacks. look at the entire situation and, of course, the slaughter that's going on in syria today with the farce going on in geneva where we have now had 130,000 people massacured while the united states has watched. i would say that's worse than anything jimmy carter did. >> senator, thank you for joining us. >> thank you. when we come back, she's the super mom and tonight she's the gop's first responder. just ahead, we'll introduce you

to representative cathy mcmorris rodgers. and sips of water. some past state of the union responses have had their pitfallsle we'll have the details when we come back. farmer: hello, i'm an idaho potato farmer. and our giant idaho potato truck is still missing. so my dog and i we're going to go find it. it's out there somewhere spreading the good word about idaho potatoes and raising money for meals on wheels. but we'd really like our truck back, so if you see it, let us know, would you? thanks. what? open to innovation. open to ambition. open to bold ideas. that's why new york has a new plan -- dozens of tax free zones all across the state.

move here, expand here, or start a new business here and pay no taxes for ten years... we're new york. if there's something that creates more jobs, and grows more businesses... we're open to it. start a tax-free business at startup-ny.com. wow, this hoh no.s amazing. who are you? who are you? wrong answer. wait, daddy, this is blair, he booked this room with priceline express deals and saved a ton. yeah, i didn't have to bid i got everything i wanted. oh good i always do. oh good he seemed nice. express deals. priceline savings without the bidding. that it's given me time toabout reflect on some of life'seen biggest questions. like, if you could save hundreds on car insurance by making one simple call, why wouldn't you make that call?

see, the only thing i can think of is that you can't get any... bars. ah, that's better. it's a beautiful view. i wonder if i can see mt. rushmore from here. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance.

once president obama finishes tonight's speech, it will be the republican's turn to throw a counterpunch. this year that job is going to a woman who also happens to be a supermom. let's bring in cnn's athena jones. atheen that? >> wolf, with democrats waging a war on women, perhaps it's no surprise that gcop leaders pickd a woman raising a special needs

child. >> i want to start out today -- >> reporter: cathy mcmorris rodgers is the highest-ranking republican woman in the house. >> i was first elected to congress in 2004 and i was still single and really wondered maybe i was going to be single for the rest of my life kind of a thing. anyway, met brian a year later, we got married and then soon after that i was pregnant, cole was born in 2007. >> reporter: her eldest child has down's syndrome. >> it's not what you dream, it's not what you expect. >> reporter: mcmorris rodgers is part of the co-founder of the republican caucus. >> they are the best alarm clock. >> reporter: she and her party have been busy promoting tonight's event with this video.

>> it's the highlight of the day. >> reporter: and on twitter and instagram, highlighting her dual roles as come and congresswoman. she tweets, i've got my gop state of the union remarks in one hand and 2 monday old brynn in the other. it's a long way from her family's farm and fruit stand. >> we raise cherries, peaches, apricots. >> reporter: the first person in her family to earn a college degree speaks before a television audience of millions. she will be spending time with her husband and kids before the state of the union tonight. they say she gets her energy from her family, wolf. >> very impressive background there, i must say. thanks very much, athena, for that. not every state of the union response has come across as intended. joe johns is picking up that

part of the story. joe? >> wolf, the response to the president's speech has turned into a thankless job in recent years. it may sound great but a lot of scrutiny comes with all of that exposure and it's always been true that the leader of the free world can be a tough act to follow. delivering the response to the president's state of the union address should be considered a cherished assignment, the opportunity to speak to a primetime national audience in contrast with the president's views but in recent years, the rising stars have found their national debut has often been more damaging than helpful and some may wonder is this really a role anyone would want? in 2013 for florida senator grabbing a gulp of water that s sent twitter buzz on fire. >> americans are spectacle of both political parties and that

skepticism is justified. >> reporter: but he was drowned out by the first tea party state of the union response delivered by michele bachmann, who seemed to be looking slightly off camera. >> a history-making turn. >> reporter: there were two cameras recording her speech and she was looking at the one with the teleprompter but the video us used by most of the networks used the other one. >> who are you looking at, congresswoman? >> reporter: in 2010, one of the most successful republican responses was delivered by then virginia governor bob mcdonnell before a cheering live audience. it made him look almost presidential. but the bad luck of the delivering the state of the union response still got mcdonnell. just last week, he and his wife were indicted on corruption charges. not to be forgotten is louisiana governor bobby jindal who gave the response in 2009 but his

down home delivery and small time approach did not go over well with the chattering class. it may have hurt his chance as a presidential contender. >> like the president's father, my own parents came to this country from a distant land. >> reporter: republicans are not the only ones who have suffered from the state of the union respond responder jinx. kathleen sebelius in 2008 delivered the democratic response to president bush. she's now the face of an obamacare rollout. it's expected to be delivered by cathy mcmorris rodgers but three others are giving speeches on their own, one in spanish. wolf? >> fascinating stuff. thanks very much. this is then arkansas governor bill clinton delivering the democratic response to president ronald reagan's state of the

union address back in 1985. >> our critics have said we are for too much government while they want the government off our backs. well, we want the government off our backs, too. but we need it by our sides. >> that didn't hurt bill clinton from eventually becoming president of the united states. coming up, the white house press secretary jay carney, he'll join us live here in "the situation room" as we countdown to the president's state of the union address. and just ahead, pizza, wings, and three guys talking politics. cnn is going to have an alternative to the speech. we're going to give you a preview. my dad has aor afib.brillation, he has the most common kind...

...it's not caused by a heart valve problem. dad, it says your afib puts you at 5 times greater risk of a stroke. that's why i take my warfarin every day. but it looks like maybe we should ask your doctor about pradaxa. in a clinical trial, pradaxa® (dabigatran etexilate mesylate)... ...was proven superior to warfarin at reducing the risk of stroke. and unlike warfarin, with no regular blood tests or dietary restrictions. hey thanks for calling my doctor. sure. pradaxa is not for people with artificial heart valves. don't stop taking pradaxa without talking to your doctor. stopping increases your risk of stroke. ask your doctor if you need to stop pradaxa before surgery or a medical or dental procedure. pradaxa can cause serious, sometimes fatal, bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding or have had a heart valve replaced. seek immediate medical care for unexpected signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk if you're 75 or older, have a bleeding condition or stomach ulcer, take aspirin, nsaids, or blood thinners... ...or if you have kidney problems, especially if you take certain medicines. tell your doctors about all medicines you take.

pradaxa side effects include indigestion, stomach pain, upset, or burning. if you or someone you love has afib not caused by a heart valve problem... ...ask your doctor about reducing the risk of stroke with pradaxa. is your tv powered by coal? natural gas? nuclear? or renewables like solar... and wind? let's find out. this is where america's electricity comes from.

a diversity of energy sources helps ensure the electricity we need is reliable. take the energy quiz. energy lives here.

find alternative coverage.

pizza, wings, three guys talking politics during the president's speech. our national political reporter is leading cnn's first hamby cast. we also have tommy viator and republican strategist, tim miller. peter, tell us what this is about. >> wolf, tonight there's plenty of options. watch the state of the union unfiltered. tonight we're just going to be adding our color commentary, reading twitter, taking texts from our friends who work in politics as you mentioned joined by tommy and tim, two of the sharpest guys i know in washington who have a lot of experience in twitter despite the fact that we all look 17 years old here. yeah, you know, if you want to tune in to cnn.com, get kind of informed take on what's happening as it's unfolding, you should definitely tune in. it's another option that we are adding and experimenting with tonight, wolf. >> give us a thought, tommy, what you hope to achieve by this. >> you know, i had i that these speeches are best remembered by sort of a moment so i think if

the president can show that he cares about creating jobs, if there can be a moment that's emotional that makes people remember this state of the union and makes it stand out, it's a laundry list of ideas. >> what about you, tim? >> every time the president knocks down a straw man we're going to make tommy drink. i don't think anything is going to change for the president. his numbers are in the tank and he's never done anything in a state of the union to improve them before. i don't expect him to do anything tonight. >> we'll find out. we'll have an instant poll shortly after the president finishes that speech. guys, we'll be watching you and we'll be listening to you but we'll also be watching what's going on here on cnn as well. thanks so much and cnn will of course have complete coverage and full analysis of the president's state of the union address. there's much more coming up on that here in "the situation room" and our special coverage later on tonight begins at 7:00 p.m. eastern. coming up, president obama's putting the finishes touch's on tonight's big speech. his white house press secretary jay carney is here with me in

"the situation room." we'll get a preview. and the new jersey governor chri chris christie has fun at his own expense threatening ramifications in a game of ping pong. , i took medicine but i still have symptoms. [ sneeze ] [ male announcer ] truth is not all flu products treat all your symptoms. what? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus severe cold and flu speeds relief to these eight symptoms. [ breath of relief ] thanks. [ male announcer ] you're welcome. ready? go. you're saying i can get at&t's network with a data plan and unlimited talk and text for as low as $45 a month? $45 a month. wow...no annual contract. no annual contract. no long-term agreement. no long-term agreement. really? really. ok, so what's the catch? there is no catch. ok, i'm obviously getting nowhere with you. i'm gonna need to speak with the supervisor. i am the supervisor. oh, finally someone i can talk to. [ male announcer ] it's not complicated. new smartphone plans starting at $45 a month, with no annual contract. only from at&t.

with no annual contract. i'm tto guard their manhood with train depend shields and guards. the discreet protection that's just for guys. now, it's your turn. get my training tips at guardyourmanhood.com so when my moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis them. was also on display, i'd had it. i finally had a serious talk with my dermatologist. this time, he prescribed humira-adalimumab. humira helps to clear the surface of my skin by actually working inside my body. in clinical trials, most adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis saw 75% skin clearance. and the majority of people were clear or almost clear in just 4 months. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred.

before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. make the most of every moment. ask your dermatologist about humira, today. clearer skin is possible. [ male announcer ] the rhythm of life. [ whistle blowing ] where do you hear that beat? campbell's healthy request soup lets you hear it in your heart. [ basketball bouncing ] heart healthy. [ m'm... ] great taste. [ tapping ] sounds good. campbell's healthy request. m'm! m'm! good.®

campbell's healthy request. cozy or cool? "meow" or "woof"? everything the way you want it ... until boom, it's bedtime! and your mattress a battleground of thwarted desire. enter the sleep number bed. designed to let couples sleep together in individualized comfort. he's a softy. his sleep number setting is 35. you're the rock, at 60. and as your needs change over time you can adjust your bed to sleep better together. 48-month financing available through february 2 only at your local sleep number store. find your sleep number setting and know better sleep.

some other stories we're covering now. weather in the south is getting pounded with a rare dose of bitter cold. snow and ice over states of louisiana, georgia, mississippi. they can get 2 to 4 inches of snow which is enough to wreak havoc in a region lacking snow plows and trucks. there is havoc in the atlanta metro area. on this map everything in red indicates roadways tied up in traffic. some areas students are stuck in schools so parents can't even

reach. officials are concerned people will run out of gas while stuck in the traffic. more than 3,000 flights by the way have already been canceled. many of them from the city's airport which happens to be the busiest in the world. getting ready for the president's state of the union address before a joint session of congress and national tv audience and people all over the world will be watching. let's get a little preview from our senior white house correspondentacosta. jim, this is a very important speech for the president beginning a sixth year in office. >> reporter: that's right, wolf. we have a couple of new items to share with you. we've talked in the last couple of minutes familiar with a source familiar with the writing of the speech. the president later in the state of the union will unveil a new proposal for americans to save for retirement. there will be new retirement savings accounts. this is something you'll hear in the president's speech tonight.

also, from a democratic source that i've spoken with in the last several minutes. we understand the president will make an empassioned plea for comprehensive immigration reform. it will be interesting to hear how the president goes about doing this, wolf. according to the democratic source i've been talking with the president will not go after republicans and criticize republicans over the failure to pass immigration reform in the past. according to this democratic source this will essentially be a way to explain it to the american people, why it makes good economic sense to them. as you know, wolf, having covered a lot of these state of the union speeches, not everything that goes into the speech becomes reality. >> reporter: with washington in a deep frez, president obama couldn't help but comment on the weather. >> how's the speech? >> cold. >> reporter: but the cold reality is state of the union speeches are filled with calls for sweeping reforms that go unanswered. consider last year's speech. >> now is our best chance for

bipartisan, comprehensive tax reform. i propose a fix it first program, to put people to work as soon as possible on our most urgent repairs. and finally pass the paycheck fairness act this year. >> reporter: still, there were some successes. >> so let's set party interests aside and work to pass a budget that replaces reckless cuts with smart savings and wise investments in our future. >> reporter: with that track record, aides say the president will focus more on executive actions including an increase in the minimum wage for $10.10 for federal contract workers. and there's another he priority that's eluded the president in speech after speech that's returning. >> send me a comprehensive immigration reform bill. we should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now. >> the path to fixing what's

broken about the immigration system goes squarely through congress. >> reporter: cecelia munos says the president will order executive action. >> you'll see a year of action from president obama. >> reporter: president obama knows executive actions can go only so far. he ordered the closing of the prison at guantanamo, but congress undid that. >> when i'm president one of the first things i'm going to do is call in my attorney general and say to him or her, i want you to review every executive order that's been issued by george bush. >> reporter: something a future white house could easily do to president obama. >> reporter: and a white house official tells cnn that you can expect to see the president talk about executive actions and ways that he never has before in a state of the union speech. you might actually see some surprises tonight in the state of the union speech. another reason to stay tuned for 9:00 tonight, wolf. >> do we expect the president is

willing to compromise on comprehensive immigration reform, accept an after from the republicans that doesn't include a pathway to citizenship but does include some sort of legal status for many of those millions of illegal immigrants? >> reporter: wolf, i've asked that question and the white house has said repeatedly that the president will insist on a path to citizenship, that that has to be part of an immigration reform package but that the way that they get there event tuall is sort of up in the air. they like the bill that passes through the senate and they understand the house doesn't want to do a comprehensive bill. the white house has indicated that the president is receptive to that approach but at this point it is very interesting, i think, wolf, to hear what i was hearing from a democratic source just a few minutes ago before we were talking here about this speech, wolf, that this democratic source is saying that the president is not going to come out tonight and really hammer republicans over this failure to pass immigration reform which, as you know, wolf, is a campaign promise from the 2008 campaign. something the president has talked about in the last four or

five state of the union speeches and so he wants to get this done. so it's interesting to see that the president tonight will be talking about it in sort of everyday american terms, not in political terms. that's to give the republicans space to get this work done over in the house, wolf. >> yeah, i think they're getting closer and closer to a deal but they're not there yet on this critically important issue. jim acosta. dana bash is up there. dana, some strong words from republican leaders on the hill today urging the president, basically warning the president, don't try to go it alone. there is, after all, they say a u.s. constitution. >> reporter: the house speaker said there is going to be a brig wall in front of the president if he tries to use his executive power more than he should based on the constitution reminding president that congress is the one who writes the laws. this picture, wolf, you'll see the president speak in the chamber right behind me. he's going to be facing the democrats, many of whom are very

worried. when it comes to the house who he's em battling for the past three years with republicans in control, there might be a bit of a different tone as this year progresses. for example, you were just talking with jim acosta about immigration reform. that is a top of the house speaker's agenda to try to push that through because it fits with the republican's national goal, which is to draw his voters back into the fold. that is something that has put some positivity around here and it can be done this year, and also we've seen so many things in the last few years that in the next couple of weeks there will be a big question about raising the debt ceiling. he's made that really, really clear how he's going to thread that needle and avoid that

fight. but, yet again, it's kind of a different tone that we've seen with regard to economic issues. and, you know, just generally i was at a breakfast this morning with the house speaker who was talking about the fact that republicans really want to get away from the perception that they're the party of no. they're going to be a lot more engaged in talking about what they want to be for giving policy prescriptions like an alternative to health care and things like that trying to talk about issues that they know people care about, the economy, jobs, so forth. so that does lay out a different kind of atmosphere for the president than he has seen, especially over the last three years since house republicans have any control. >> dana, we're going to check in with you throughout the night. thanks very much. let's check in with jim schudo, our chief national security correspondent. he's in tehran. there will be some references to this nuclear deal with iran. what are they saying on the street over there? what are you hearing from average iranians, jim, as well

as from government leaders? >> reporter: well, i'll tell you, wolf, iran will be listening to what the president says tonight, both average iranians and officials. i went to the foreign ministry today and i asked them what they want to hear from the president and also what they don't want to hear, and what i was told what they want to hear is a recognition that iran's nuclear program will stay. the foreign ministry spokesperson saying that this program belongs to the iranian people and that iran will not give it up. i can tell you what iranians and what iranian officials don't want to hear is a restatement of a military threat. secretary of state john kerry's interview was that the military option was on the table. it sparked a real firestorm here. the head of the iranian revolutionary guard corps said that iran would be ready for war -- would relish war, in fact, if the u.s. carried out a strike. one other interesting thing coming out of the foreign

ministry today, they said that the agreement between the u.s. and iran over the nuclear program was largely a verbal agreement. there were details agreed to not written down on payment. certainly something to give ammunition to some of the opponents of the agreement back in the u.s., that there were things that were agreed to that were not publicized which is of course something that the administration says is not the case, but i think also iranians, wolf, they want to hear that there will be economic relief. it's the economic sanctions that filtered down to average iranians. that's how they feel the discord between the u.s. and iran, they want to hear from the president that if this diplomatic path goes forward, that there will be a relief from these economic sanctions in all walks of life here, from airplane parts, for planes where they're worried about safety to auto parts to medicines and just can they do trade, can they do business, can they travel to places they haven't been able to travel because of the sanctions regime. wolf, they will certainly be listening here. >> they will be listening

closely and we'll be checking in with you throughout the night. you're staying put there in tehran. we'll get iranian reaction to whatever the president winds up saying about this iranian nuclear deal. jim sciutto. jim king is here. give us a sense of what you're looking at. >> as the president delivers the state of the union, he'll ask the american people to accept the agenda. his political standing has a lot to do with whether he can make the case and sell it across the country. let's look where the president is now. these are through the years of the obama presidency. when he speaks tonight he's near a low. not at the lowest point of his presidency, but a 43% approval rating, well below 50. that's one of the reasons the republicans are encouraged. if this they can keep the president at near 40, they can pick up seats. that's a number that makes democrats nervous. they want the president up higher. if the president stays in the 40s, look for especially those

moderates in red states like arkansas, like louisiana to run away from the president. a little bit of context and what's unusual about this president, normally the rule in politics is as the economy improves the president improves in it. i'll pull this back. i want to come back to 2010. you see where the president's approval rating has dipped below 50. the unemployment rate it was 10%. the unemployment rate has actually dropped quite dramatically and right now as the president speaks tonight the nation's unemployment rate below 7% and yet the president at a low. normally the unemployment rate goes down, the president goes up. this has been one of the great anomalies of the economy. he doesn't get credit for the economy. the president will talk about this, people don't feel the recovery. they didn't get the benefits of the stock market last year. they're still worried about jobs and their future. the president, one of his political problems, he's not benefitting from the improvement. let's put the president in context of two-term presidents over the year. richard nixon at 27% in what was

to become the final year of his presidency, the watergate scandal deeply affecting that. ronald regan at this point, the six-year itch state of the union was riding high at 64% even though the democrats regained the senate. bill clinton was at 59% at this point in his presidency and democrats had a solid year, defied history in the mid terms. this is what democrats worry about. barack obama identical in terms of his presidential job approval rating to george w. bush, 2006. opposition to the iraq war, later katrina came in. obama's numbers exactly the same. why are democrats nervous about that in this mid term election? the democrats gained 30 seats. they can pick up 30 seats in the house. when democrats look at the number, most of the smart strategists think that they'll keep the house. this he have a pretty good shot. not guaranteed but a pretty good shot at getting at the majority. he has to try to move up in the

support. >> all right. john's going to be with us throughout the night as well. john king, thanks very much. we're standing by. we'll speak with the white house press secretary, jay carney. he's joining us live this hour. we'll talk, get a little preview of what the president has in mind to tell the american people tonight. also, more analysis. gloria borger is here. she's back from the white house herself. much more from our special coverage coming up right here in "the situation room." when you have diabetes like i do,

getting the right nutrition isn't always easy. first, i want a way to help minimize my blood sugar spikes. then, a way to support heart health. ♪ and let's not forget immune support. ♪ but now i have new glucerna advance with three benefits in one. including carbsteady ultra to help minimize blood sugar spikes. it's the best from glucerna. [ male announcer ] new glucerna advance. from the brand doctors recommend most. advancing nutrition for diabetes. from the brand doctors recommend most. and it feels like your lifeate revolves around your symptoms,

ask your gastroenterologist about humira adalimumab. humira has been proven to work for adults who have tried other medications but still experience the symptoms of moderate to severe crohn's disease. in clinical studies, the majority of patients on humira saw significant symptom relief, and many achieved remission. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your gastroenterologist about humira today. remission is possible.

welcome back. i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." we're counting down to the president's state of the union address coming up later tonight. gloria borger is here with us in "the situation room." our chief political analyst. the president has a unique situation he's finding himself

in. he's making threats to congress he'll take unilateral action at the same time he's reaching out to congress saying, help me, let's work together. let's achieve some common goals. >> he's got to thread that needle, wolf, and it won't be easy to do. he comes into a situation where as john was pointing out, he has a low approval rating, he has a public that's very pessimistic about what the rest of his term can achieve. the thing that he has going for him, wolf, is that he's more popular than the congress is right now. so if he says to people, look, i came to washington and i tried to change the way washington works but he wasn't successful at that, what he's going to say is i'm going to try to work around washington. when you look at the polling, a majority of the people say, look, if you have to work around them and you can get something done, whether it's through executive action, do it. get something done. i think what he's going to try to tell the public, listen to me. i think i can actually work with

them on certain things and work around them on other things and i'll get that message through. because they need to get those approval ratings up. >> the republicans keep pounding away on the affordable care act, obama care which had a pretty poor rollout october 1st, how does he finesse that. >> he's not going to back away from the affordable care act at all. what he's going to do is acknowledge that there may be some things that need to be fixed, that they need to do better, that they're on the road to getting the number of people enrolled that they need to get enrolled. this is an administration that doesn't want to be tied to certain numbers right now when it comes to enrollment, but it seems he's going to say, look, this is the way it's helped people so far. this is what it's going to do for you in the future. give it a chance. and where it's broken, we'll work to fix it with congress but we're not going to get rid of

it. >> gloria is going to be with us throughout the night. jay carney is standing by live at the white house. we'll talk to him about the president's address tonight when we come back. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. yeah. everybody knows that. did you know there is an oldest trick in the book? what? trick number one. look-est over there. ha ha. made-est thou look. so end-eth the trick.

hey.... yes.... geico. fifteen minutes could save you... well, you know. did you run into traffic? no, just had to stop by the house to grab a few things. you stopped by the house? uh-huh. yea. alright, whenever you get your stuff, run upstairs, get cleaned up for dinner. you leave the house in good shape? yea. yea, of course. ♪ [ sportscaster talking on tv ] last-second field go-- yea, sure ya did. [ male announcer ] introducing at&t digital life. personalized home security and automation.

get professionally monitored security for just $29.99 a month. with limited availability in select markets. ♪ before those little pieces would get in between my dentures and my gum and it was uncomfortable. [ male announcer ] just a few dabs is clinically proven to seal out more food particles. [ corrine ] super poligrip is part of my life now.

welcome back. i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." we're getting ready to hear the president's state of the union address. let's go to the white house. jay carney, the white house press secretary is joining us. jay, thank you very much. i know you're busy. i'm glad you got a few moments to update our viewers. when the president says he has a pen and a phone, that that strategy of executive action may be necessary, is that appropriate on a day like today when he's trying to reach out to congress for some cooperation? >> absolutely, wolf, because today is not just a day in which he speaks to congress, he speaks in front of the members of congress in the capitol, but he's also speaking to the millions of americans out there who will tune in tonight and

want to hear from the president what plans he has and what vision he has for moving the country forward. and i think every american expects the president, whether he, she, a republican or democrat, to use all the tools available to him or her and will take the opportunity and reward hard work and responsibility. that's what the president will say. he wants to work with congress, and when congress will cooperate with him to move forward on his objectives, he looks forward to doing that, but he will also use the powers he has through executive actions and through convening stakeholders around the country to move that agenda forward. so it's not an either/or situation. it's acting through congress and on using your authority as a president of the united states. >> a dual strategy. on comprehensive immigration reform i know he wants it to

include a pathway to immigration reform. is he willing to compromise some sort of legal status for them without necessarily earning dual citizenship? >> first of all, wolf, as you know, even though there wasn't all the progress we hoped for in 2013 there was significant progress when it came to comprehensive immigration reform. the senate passed bipartisan bill with support from democrats and republicans that meets the principles the president laid out. he looks forward to the house taking action, and we are encouraged by some of what we have heard from house republican leaders about their intention to move forward on immigration reform. we haven't seen a proposal from them yet, but it's our belief that there's a way forward here that will allow for the president to sign comprehensive immigration reform into law and that would be a huge benefit for our businesses, for the middle class and for the economy. >> as you know, the nation has to extend -- raise the debt ceiling by the end of february,

early march. the republicans say they'll go along with it but they want at least something from the administration, maybe approval of the keystone xl pipeline, some concession from the administration. is the president still demanding a clean bill, no concessions whatsoever? >> what the president insists on is that congress act responsibly and pay its bills, without drama, without delay, without demanding a ransom. the item that you mentioned and the others that have been talked about are about partisan, you know, desires that have nothing to do with the responsibility congress has to ensure that we don't default for the first time in our history. so absolutely. we will not negotiate overran some demands so that congress fulfills its responsibility. when congress did that last we saw the government shut down. we saw the middle class punished and we saw all the political damage that caused republicans. i can't imagine they want to go down that pathogen. >> there was a new poll in the

wall street journal, the nbc news/wa new news/wall street journal poll. right direction, 28%, wrong track, 63%. the president has a major challenge ahead of him, doesn't he? >> there's certainly a lot of frustration out there among the american people directed towards washington. there's certainly a lot of concern about the need for further economic growth and expanded opportunity. we've come a long way in the economy since the depths of the great recession, as you know, wolf. the private sector has created 8.2 million jobs since the depths of the recession, but we have more work to do. what the president wants to do is harness the energy of the american people, work together with congress, work with business leaders and others around the country to try to expand that economic opportunity for everyone so that hard work is rewarded. you know, i think a cnn reported the president will announce tonight that he is signing an executive order to lift the minimum wage paid to federal contractors to $10.10.

that's an example of something he can do using his executive authority. he will still call on congress to act, to pass a bill that raises the minimum wage to $10.10 across the country for everybody because that's the right thing to do for hard working americans who are taking care of their business and being responsible to themselves and their families. >> when some republican leaders say those kind of executive decisions, unilateral actions could potentially violate, go against the constitutional. i assume your lawyers have looked at all of that. >> the president absolutely has the authority to take this action and i think it's worth noting that president obama's predecessor signed more executive orders in the first five years in office than president obama has, and i don't remember republicans complaining about that. it is entirely appropriate that any man or woman who has the privilege of sitting in the oval office uses all the tools in the toolbox of the presidency to

advance an agenda that people expect and rewards hard work. i don't think the american people expect anything less. what we do in the white house and washington to measure progress only by the number of bills we can pass through congress. we can do that, we can make progress. we saw bipartisan compromise on a budget deal, a very hopeful sign at the end of last year, and bipartisan majorities support the funding bill for the spending going forward for this fiscal year. that's positive progress and that's positive progress in congress, but the president is not going to do anything that's going to prevent him from doing his job. >> a clean shaven press secretary to the president of the united states, jay carney. thanks very much for joining us. was that a tough decision, getting rid of that beard? >> i couldn't compete with you, wolf, and i decided it was time to go clean shaven again. >> all right. you look mighty good. jay carney without the beard. thanks very much. we'll see what happens later tonight. i'll be back in a half an hour as