trained afghan security forces. our purpose is clear -- by preventing the taliban from reestablishing a stranglehold over the afghan people, we will deny al qaeda the safe haven that served as a launching pad for 9/11. thanks to our heroic troops and civilians, fewer afghans are under the control of the insurgency. there will be tough fighting ahead, and the afghan government will need to deliver better governance. but we are strengthening the capacity of the afghan people and building an enduring partnership with them. this year, we will work with nearly 50 countries to begin a transition to an afghan lead. and this july, we will begin to bring our troops home. in pakistan, al qaeda's leaderse

pressure than at any point since 2001. their leaders and operatives are being removed from the battlefield. their safe havens are shrinking. and we have sent a message from the afghan border to the arabian peninsula to all parts of the globe -- we will not relent, we will not waver, and we will defeat you. american leadership can also be seen in the effort to secure the worst weapons of war. because republicans and democrats approved the new start treaty, far fewer nuclear weapons and launchers will be deployed. because we rallied the world, nuclear materials are being locked down on every continent so they never fall into the

hands of terrorists. because of a diplomatic effort to insist that iran meet its obligations, the iranian government now faces tougher and tighter sanctions than ever before. and on the korean peninsula, we stand with our ally south korea, and insist that north korea keeps its commitment to abandon nuclear weapons. this is just a part of how we are shaping a world that favors peace and prosperity. with our european allies, we revitalized nato, and increased our cooperation on everything from counter-terrorism to missile defense. we have reset our relationship with russia, strengthened asian alliances, and built new partnerships with nations like india. this march, i will travel to brazil, chile, and el salvador

to forge new alliances for progress in the americas. around the globe, we are standing with those who take responsibility -- helping farmers grow more food, supporting doctors who care for the sick, and combating the corruption that can rot a society and rob people of opportunity. recent events have shown us that what sets us apart must not just be our power. it must be the purpose behind it. in south sudan, with our assistance, the people were finally able to vote for independence after years of war. thousands lined up before dawn. people danced in the streets. one man who lost four of his brothers at war summed up the scene around him -- "this was a battlefield for most of my life.

now we want to be free." we saw that same desire to be free in tunisia, where the will of the people proved more powerful than the writ of a dictator. and tonight, let us be clear -- the united states of america stands with the people of tunisia, and supports the democratic aspirations of all people. we must never forget that the things we have struggled for, and fought for, live in the hearts of people everywhere. and we must always remember that the americans who have borne the greatest burden in this struggle are the men and women who serve our country.

tonight, let us speak with one voice in reaffirming that our nation is united in support of our troops and their families. let us serve them as well as they have served us -- by giving them the equipment they need, by

providing them with the care and benefits they have earned, and by enlisting our veterans in the great task of building our own nation. our troops come from every corner of this country -- they are black, white, latino, asian and native american. they are christian and hindu, jewish and muslim. and, yes, we know that some of them are gay. starting this year, no american will be forbidden from serving the country they love because of who they love. and with that change, i call on all of our college campuses to open their doors to our military recruiters and the rotc. it is time to leave behind the divisive battles of the past.

it is time to move forward as one nation. we should have no illusions about the work ahead of us. reforming our schools, changing the way we use energy, reducing our deficit -- none of this is easy. all of it will take time. and it will be harder because we will argue about everything. the cost. the details. the letter of every law. of course, some countries don't have this problem. if the central government wants a railroad, they get a railroad -- no matter how many homes are bulldozed.

if they do not want a bad story in the newspaper, it does not get written. and yet, as contentious and frustrating and messy as our democracy can sometimes be, i know there isn't a person here who would trade places with any other nation on earth. we may have differences in policy, but we all believe in the rights enshrined in our constitution. we may have different opinions, but we believe in the same promise that says this is a

place where you can make it if you try. we may have different backgrounds, but we believe in the same dream that says this is a country where anything's possible. no matter who you are. no matter where you come from. that dream is why i can stand here before you tonight. that dream is why a working class kid from scranton can stand behind me. that dream is why someone who began by sweeping the floors of his father's cincinnati bar can preside as speaker of the house in the greatest nation on earth.

that dream -- that american dream -- is what drove the allen brothers to reinvent their roofing company for a new era. it's what drove those students at forsyth tech to learn a new skill and work towards the future. and that dream is the story of a small business owner named brandon fisher. brandon started a company in berlin, pennsylvania that specializes in a new kind of drilling technology. one day last summer, he saw the news that halfway across the world, 33 men were trapped in a chilean mine, and no one knew how to save them. but brandon thought his company could help. and so he designed a rescue that would come to be known as plan b. his employees worked around the

clock to manufacture the necessary drilling equipment. and brandon left for chile. along with others, he began drilling a 2,000 foot hole into the ground, working three or four days at a time with no sleep. thirty-seven days later, plan b succeeded, and the miners were rescued. but because he did not want all of the attention, brandon was not there when the miners emerged. he had already gone home, back to work on his next project. later, one of his employees said of the rescue, "we proved that center rock is a little company, but we do big things."

we do big things. from the earliest days of our founding, america has been the story of ordinary people who dare to dream. that is how we win the future. we are a nation that says, "i might not have a lot of money, but i have this great idea for a new company. i might not come from a family of college graduates, but i will be the first to get my degree. i might not know those people in trouble, but i think i can help them, and i need to try. i am not sure how we will reach that better place beyond the horizon, but i know we will get there. i know we will." we do big things. the idea of america endures. our destiny remains our choice. and tonight, more than two centuries later, it is because

of our people that our future is hopeful, our journey goes forward, and the state of our union is strong. thank you, god bless you, and may god bless the united states of america.

>> president obama making his way out of the chamber of the house of representatives. that center aisle a favored spot for many members of congress. we will keep watching there and tell the house officially is out of session carriage -- out of session. you will see live coverage of the republican response. it is being given by the new chairman of the house budget committee, paul ryan of wisconsin. the high bar cameras in statuary hall -- we have our cameras in statuary hall. that is quite a scene on state of the union night. camera crews all across the country and members of congress out of the chamber. they can comment for national news and their hometown news

organizations. on c-span2, will be covering many of those members. you will help -- you will hear live reaction. at this network, or fall lines will be opened. -- our telephone lines will be opened. we will take your calls on the air with your reaction to the speech. the president making his speech where he stressed bipartisan cooperation and jobs, the economy, competitiveness, and a leaner government. when we get to it, here is how you can join in. we will not be taking calls until after paul brian's -- ryan's response to the state of the union. you can send us a message on twitter.

a lot of ways to comment as the evening progresses. to learn a little bit more about paul ryan, we have a reporter on the phone. as we introduced him, the congressman is 41 years old. he is from wisconsin and in his seventh term in the house of representatives. >> he has been a rising star within the republican party. he is the new house budget chairman. he has become the voice of the party in many ways on fiscal issues. he is a policy wonk, but the rare combination of a policy wonk and a good politician. he did very well and a fairly competitive district and wisconsin. he is one of the more

conservative members of the house of representatives. that does not stop them from let -- from winning by large margins. >> we have got that on the internet here. i want to ask you about his speech making capabilities. >> he is seen as somebody this speaks with assurance and confidence about the issues that he cares about. i think that really explains why he has emerged as a major figure in the economic debate. he has a grasp of the issue. he is not just a policy wonk, he is immersed in economics. he has a highly developed and landings when it comes to economic doctrine. -- leanings when it comes to economic doctrine.

she is -- he is a politician from wisconsin who is a bow hunter and comfortable in the midwest. he is a fairly accessible speaker as well. he is young and for some people, that might be a little jarring. his profile is rising and ureas delivering the republican response. >> what did he do before congress? >> he was an aide to jack kemp. he was also wrote close to bill bennett. he was a speechwriter and then you worked a little bit in a

family business. he has been all about public policy and politics. >> we are keeping an eye on it because be response this is part -- is supposed to start quickly. >> what is all the attention on the home state? >> it is a battleground state. even though president obama won it by 14 points in 2008, and it really delivered a bigger gains to the republican party than any state in the union in 2010. it will be a very tempting target for republicans in to meet -- in 2012. you will see the president coming back their a lot. it is also a really iconic manufacturing state.

it is a pretty good venue for that. >> what is the economy like? >> it is not great, but in numerical sense, it is not as bad as a lot of places. the m -- the unemployment rate is lower than the national average. there's still a lot of economic and ease -- unease. it relies on manufacturing for employment. that contributed to the climate in 2010, which saw republicans do so well in the state. picking up the governor, a senator, an entire legislature. >> you talked about the main economy and the state. >> heavy manufacturing compared to other states. less than it used to be. a lot of heavy manufacturing,

less than it used to be, but still enough for the economy is sensitive to exports. a more diversified economy than before. a big agricultural sector, of course. it is a state that is still feeling the economic dislocation of the industrial midwest. it is doing better than some states in the region, like michigan. not quite as well as others, like minnesota. >> we have about 35 seconds left. for this speech tonight, how important will this before his career? >> it matters in the sense that is a little bit of a minefield. it has proven that way for republicans. some republicans -- did not go

over so well. paul wright and is equipped to the task. it will be a certain -- it will be a different speech than the president's speech. it will be a different portrayal. people will note the contrast when they hear it. >> thank you very much. paul ryan began about 10 seconds. >> good evening. i am congressman paul ryan from janesville, wisconsin -- and chairman here at the house budget committee. president obama just addressed a congressional chamber filled with many new faces. one face we did not see tonight was that of our friend and colleague, congresswoman gabrielle giffords of arizona. we all miss gabby and her cheerful spirit, and we are praying for her return to the house chamber. earlier this month, president obama spoke movingly at a memorial event for the six people who died on that violent morning in tucson.

still, there are no words that can lift the sorrow that now engulfs the families and friends of the fallen. what we can do is assure them that the nation is praying for them, that, in the words of the psalmist, the lord heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds, and that over time grace will replace grief. as gabby continues to make encouraging progress, we must keep her and the others in our thoughts as we attend to the work now before us. tonight, the president focused a lot of attention on our economy in general -- and on our deficit and debt in particular. he was right to do so, and some of his words were reassuring. as chairman of the house budget committee, i assure you that we want to work with the president to restrain federal spending. in one of our first acts in the new majority, house republicans voted to cut congress's own budget. and just today, the house voted to restore the spending discipline that washington sorely needs. the reason is simple. a few years ago, reducing

spending was important. today, it is imperative. here is why. we face a crushing burden of debt. the debt will soon eclipse our entire economy, and grow to catastrophic levels in the years ahead. on this current path, when my three children -- who are now 6, 7, and 8 years old -- are raising their own children, the federal government will double in size, and so will the taxes they pay. no economy can sustain such high levels of debt and taxation. the next generation will inherit a stagnant economy and a diminished country. frankly, it is one of my greatest concerns as a parent, and i know many of you feel the same way. our debt is the product of acts by many presidents and many congresses over many years. no one person or party is responsible for it. there is no doubt the president came into office facing a severe fiscal and economic situation. unfortunately, instead of restoring the fundamentals of economic growth, he engaged in

a stimulus spending spree that not only failed to deliver on its promise to create jobs, but also plunged us even deeper into debt. the facts are clear -- since taking office, president obama has signed into law spending increases of nearly 25% for domestic government agencies, an 84% increase when you include the failed stimulus. all of this new government spending was sold as "investment." yet after two years, the unemployment rate remains above 9% and government has added over $3 trillion to our debt. then the president and his party made matters even worse, by creating a new open-ended health care entitlement. what we already know about the president's health care law is this -- costs are going up, premiums are rising, and millions of people will lose the coverage they currently have. job creation is being stifled by all of its taxes, penalties, mandates and fees.

businesses and unions from around the country are asking the obama administration for waivers from the mandates. washington should not be in the business of picking winners and losers. the president mentioned the need for regulatory reform to ease the burden on american businesses. we agree -- and we think his health care law would be a great place to start. last week, house republicans voted for a full repeal of this law, as we pledged to do, and we will work to replace it with fiscally responsible, patient- centered reforms that actually reduce costs and expand coverage. our debt is out of control. what was a fiscal challenge is now a fiscal crisis. we cannot deny it. instead we must, as americans, confront it responsibly. and that is exactly what

republicans pledge to do. americans are skeptical of both political parties, and that skepticism is justified -- especially when it comes to spending. so hold all of us accountable. in this very room, the house will produce, debate, and advance a budget. last year, in an unprecedented failure, congress chose not to pass, or even propose a budget. the spending spree continued unchecked. we owe you a better choice and a different vision. our forthcoming budget is our obligation to you -- to show you how we intend to do things differently, how we will cut spending to get the debt down, help create jobs and prosperity, and reform government programs. if we act soon, and if we act responsibly, people in and near retirement will be protected. these budget debates are not just about the programs of government; they're also about the purpose of government. so i'd like to share with you

the principles that guide us. they are anchored in the wisdom of the founder, in the spirit of the declaration of independence, and in the words of the american constitution. they have to do with the importance of limited government and with the blessing of self- government. we believe government's role is both vital and limited -- to defend the nation from attack and provide for the common defense, to secure our borders, to protect innocent life, to uphold our laws and constitutional rights, to ensure domestic tranquility and equal opportunity, and to help provide a safety net for those who cannot provide for themselves. we believe that the government has an important role to create the conditions that promote entrepreneurship, upward mobility, and individual responsibility. we believe, as our founders did, that "the pursuit of happiness" depends upon individual liberty, and individual liberty requires limited government. limited government also means

effective government. when government takes on too many tasks, it usually does not do any of them very well. it's no coincidence that trust in government is at an all-time low now that the size of government is at an all-time high. the president and the democratic leadership have shown, by their actions, that they believe government needs to increase its size and its reach, its price tag and its power. whether sold as "stimulus" or repackaged as "investment," their actions show they want a federal government that controls too much, taxes too much, and spends too much in order to do too much. and during the last two years, that is exactly what we have gotten -- along with record deficits and debt -- to the point where the president is now urging congress to increase the debt limit. we believe the days of business as usual must come to an end. we hold to a couple of simple convictions. endless borrowing is not a strategy.

spending cuts have to come first. our nation is approaching a tipping point. we are at a moment, where if government's growth is left unchecked and unchallenged, america's best century will be considered our past century. this is a future in which we will transform our social safety net into a hammock, which lulls able-bodied people into lives of complacency and dependency. depending on bureaucracy to foster innovation, competitiveness, and wise consumer choices has never worked -- and it will not work now. we need to chart a new course. speaking candidly, as one citizen to another -- we still have time, but not much time. if we continue down our current path, we know what our future will be. just take a look at what's happening to greece, ireland, the united kingdom and other nations in europe. they didn't act soon enough, and now their governments have been forced to impose painful austerity measures -- large

benefit cuts to seniors and huge tax increases on everybody. their day of reckoning has arrived. ours is around the corner. that is why we must act now. some people will back away from this challenge. but i see this challenge as an opportunity to rebuild what lincoln called the "central ideas" of the republic. we believe a renewed commitment to limited government will unshackle our economy and create millions of new jobs and opportunities for all people, of every background, to succeed and prosper. under this approach, the spirit of initiative -- not political clout -- determines who succeeds. millions of families have fallen on hard times not because of our ideals of free enterprise -- but because our leaders failed to live up to those ideals, because of poor decisions made in washington and wall street that caused a financial crisis, squandered our savings, broke our trust, and crippled our economy.

today, a similar kind of irresponsibility threatens not only our livelihoods but our way of life. we need to reclaim our american system of limited government, low taxes, reasonable regulations, and sound money, which has blessed us with unprecedented prosperity. and it has done more to help the poor than any other economic system ever designed. that is the real secret to job creation -- not borrowing and spending more money in washington. limited government and free enterprise have helped make america the greatest nation on earth. these are not easy times, but america is an exceptional nation. in all the chapters of human history, there has never been anything quite like america. the american story has been cherished, advanced, and defended over the centuries. and it now falls to this generation to pass on to our children a nation that is

stronger, more vibrant, more decent, and better than the one we inherited. thank you and good night. ryan deliveringwas paul the republican response. it is time to take your telephone calls and your tweaks in reaction to the state of the union 2011. here are the telephone numbers. you can tweak us and use the @cspan address. the tea party express is giving an alternative response. we will link to that from our web site and if you are

interested watch and that on television, c-span will carry it on the network. we're beginning with a call from brooklyn. the reaction to the speech or the response. caller: my reaction is that obama was masterful. i think he showed clear leadership. i think we need to invest more in our infrastructure and in education and innovation. lucky said, this is where america's prosperity comes from. we need to get back to that. i think we need to make some cuts in the budget, but be responsible. we can take people and to the boss. host: next comes from robert in georgia. you are on the air, robert. what did you think of the president's speech or the republican response?

caller: i like to thank you for the seven second lag probe what you say and what you show on the air. the next thing i like to say is that we have failed to realize that we do not manufacture the things that we consume here in the united states. and until we rectify that, there is not a lot that is going to change or improve. thank you. host: here is a tweed. the next phone call from baltimore. you're on the air. caller: think you for taking my call. i thought the president was right on target in terms of moving the nation forward. particularly around education. i think our country is going through a cultural laps.

we feel we are moving from an industrialized society into a global economy. a lot of jobs that have been lost in our country are not coming back. they are gone forever. we have to compete, we have to train american citizens to compete on an international level. that is the way the world is moving. i think as americans we have to wake up to that and realize that that is the reality of our future economy. i just want to say quickly also that i think that i was disappointed that the president did not talk as much on the immigration issue. because that is another big issue and i think that congress needs to come to gather and support the president in passing the dream act. we have a lot of people in this country that live here as americans, they grew up here as americans, and massey said they are not responsible for their parents bringing them here.

and i think this a shame that they cannot fully be able to cooperate and participate and contribute to this society. the cause of their immigration status. i think that is a shame. it is racist. i think we need to really look at what we're doing to immigrants in this country. host: thank you, keith from baltimore. here is a tweed from someone who talks about the republican response. on c-span2, we have allowed cameras inside the capital built -- capitol building, statuary hall. you can see quite up crowd there. back to your telephone calls. this is randy m las vegas.

caller: as a republican who has supported obama, i think his speech was masterful. i think that he brought up very centrist views that both parties would encompass, we can move forward and become a stronger america. ascan aend the woes we have a country right now. i think republicans need to put down their pre-written speeches and encompass what he said and come together as a nation. host: antother tweet. what did you think they of the state of the union? the next caller is from christopher in seattle. caller: thank you for the honor and a lot to get through.

america, as a south african naturalized many years ago, going on 70 and have to take social security, i honor you, i worship you, i adore you. thank you. immigration, yes. let them in. dream act, good. must make way for people who are here. register them, tax them, and remember there is plenty of land to go wrong. president barack obama, michelle, and you're beautiful wife, your two children, your honor and your lot to fly on air force one, brilliant, masterful. nice speech. ryan from at janesville, ohio, two years for you, four year for the president, six years for the

drones in the senate, gas. yes, very realistic. my solution for you, cancel the debt. forget the fricking debt. do not pay it. who is going to enforce it, the lawyers? and while we are added, cut the lawyers down to size. they are out of control. and just so you know, i am all lawyer, too. host: 80 from seattle. mike from san francisco. caller: i have a couple of comments. i was really upset when i heard the discussion of health care reform and lawyers. i hope he is not going to start moving toward tort reform. other on that, i would move to the republican -- it is a devastating experience for me. i also think that the speech was really great. i really thought that he had a lot of things. i agreed with the previous

callers about the dream that, that he focused on how to get us on the war. it was interesting to see which supreme court justices of. but this year. -- a. -- appeared this year. right -- paul ryan is a very right wing guy, and his fiscal policies, he wants to privatize social security and all of these things, and his presentation was compelling his speech was, until i realized he was looking at me. and the problem i have with obama, it is not what he says but how he presented. why don't they move the monitors so he is looking at the people when he talks? the thing that was great about bryant is that he looked me square in the eye in the television and he did not flinch once. i'll give him points for that.

the speech presentation where obama never looked at me, i want him to talk to the camera. i don't know who's as advisers are, who sets up, but that was my problem. host: in the particular instance, mr. ryan is sitting in a camera but the president has to audiences to play to, there and at the audience on television. we clocked the president's speech at 62 minutes. back in 2010, the speech was 71. this short speech in the modern era, president nixon in 1972, 29 minutes. president clinton made the long as, 89 minutes. we will replay the president's stated the union address and the republican response. nexus' a call from georgia, another michael.

we lost michael. a tweet. next phone call is from new york, sean, your comment on the speech tonight. caller: i really thought that the president did not do it good enough job in addressing the green energy reform. host: what did you want to hear? caller: more about when the. he only brought up: natural gas. i think he was not being strong enough. host: from twitter. washington, d.c. is our next call.

your comment, osmond. caller: the president was very presidential. secondly, where was the tea party when george bush went against the congress to go to iraq to fight the war, which is more problem than anything. the american people, they should create jobs. we are over here fighting each other, the republicans and democrats, and independence, they should work together and fight the global economy like they always do. i think iran and the others are fighting each other. kennedy and lincoln, that is why they got killed. they have got to stop all this

bickering and come together and fight and be the world-leading countries like we always used to be. host: janice from mesa, arizona. what is your reaction. caller: i was listening to you and i would go to the other three channels like msnbc, cnn, whole bunch of them. they all said he started out great and every one of them, he went flat. i absolutely agree. the first thing i would say to every congressman and senator, quit clapping. when you go to a high school play, or something like junior high to see your grandkids, clap at the end. this is getting beyond ridiculous. i thought paul ryan was incredible. everyone seemed -- that young man, oh my gosh. he is unbelievable. look out, america.

that boy is coming on. and what did the president say? he talked about at the year ago, focus on jobs. we're going to focus on jobs. where are -- what is the focus? that is what i will love to know. he did not put anything back -- we're going to do this and that. if you can get your kids to school in the neighborhoods, and i will not name any nationalities, but if you can get your kids to school, it is not the teachers problem. then the teachers are bland. our education system is horrible. we pay twice as much -- i say take that school systems back to the states and let us know what we know how to do the best. arne duncan, along with the president, ala what mayor daley, these people needs to go look at

what they did. host: thanks so much. another tweet about education. next caller is rebecca and sunnyvale, california. caller: i wanted to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak. i thought barack obama speech was wonderful. it was very inspiring. i like how he addressed innovation being key, bringing up education, and addressing energy renewal. bring our troops home was also very important. my only concern is addressing both parties and getting them to cooperate with his new ideas. so i would like to see how he is going to go about doing that. that seems to be the biggest challenge, getting them to

cooperate and getting them on board with supporting him for the american people. host: rebecca mentions military. another tweet about the military. hartford, connecticut, larry, you are on the air. caller: i think you for hearing me. i think the president's speech, i did not hear him speak about the people who lost their houses or the people in tent cities in florida who are homeless, people sleeping in their cars because they have no work. they have lost everything that they have. and i heard about education and corporations and all the high level economics in society but i have not heard about the bottom line, the grunt, them working man.

what is it going to do about that? host: next is a tweet. next is ramirio in north carolina. caller: i just got back from unemployment. if it were not for my beliefs in liberty, i would not have joined the army. i'm not here to make money but fight for my country. all i'm going to say, i am for my president, all the way. host: next is new york city. you're on the air. caller: thank you for having me on. president obama speech was phenomenal. i am excited, very excited to hear about the restructuring of government. after the restructuring of government or during that time, i am hoping that we challenge

all of the voting rights in situations along with the restructuring, everyone is able to go it equally and their states are represented properly. and thank you for hearing me out. host: a few minutes left in our reaction from you to the state of the union nor the republican response tonight. next is author from new jersey. caller: good evening and thank you for listening to my call in reference to c-span. this is my first time calling c- span. i am very impressed with the president's speech. i want to say i am the fourth generation of my family to serve in the military. i am currently unable reservist from the second gulf war. -- a naval reservist from the second gulf war. i like the session about education, i was very impressed

how he put education first, because everything that we do in society, any kind of job is based on having good quality educators, having parents involved, good quality teachers. i'm really impressed. i do not have any faults with what the president said tonight. host: thank you for your call. a tweet. caller: next is the call from fort collins, colorado. john. caller: this is my first time calling and i'm glad to be calling c-span on the stated the union address. i like to set couple of things. i do not think i have never heard a discussion about social security. involved -- where it did not

involve not raising the level of the retirement age, but instead raising the taxes so that people would have to pay more of their in count towards social security, so people would be able -- so the amount of money and social security would grow. that is not keeping up with the times. that has to be addressed responsibly before we can talk about denying coverage -- not the night coverage, but raising the retirement age. when we talk about raising big government, limiting big government, i think what they're talking about is taking away programs from the people who need it the most. and then the folks who are mentally ill, but we also -- as recent tragedy. those things have to be addressed. they will be worse if we do not

address them. i think president obama did a fantastic job trying to discuss that. it would appear to me that boehner was having a hard time not clapping, because i know he was angry or did not appear to be happy about it, but the president brought some good points and it was tough to deny them. host: think it for your comments. opt-out four minutes left here, the state of the union covers comedy when high-definition this year. here is a message about spending. next is los angeles, you are on. caller: i must say that i am really surprised at a high percentage of callers to found his speech to be favorable, such as myself. i think he gave a wonderful speech. it was not fiery but it was

factual and to the point. one thing i can say about this president, he is one who wants to focus on bringing this nation together. to be cooperative and to work together. one can be together and yet be divisive, but i must commend him on his strategy and his advocacy of working together. that is very important. he touched on many areas tonight, and i think that we as a nation and the country and the people should pray for our leaders. thank you very kindly for accepting this call. host: thanks for making a. another twitter user. the next call is from new york. caller: thanks for taking the call. i want to start out by saying i'm a registered independent.

i do not care, republican democrat, and you just need to do that job, get that got -- get the job done and do it right. that said, i am stunned by the republican response. given the fact that when the democratic president clinton left office, we had a surplus, and eight years later of president bush's administration, we had a deficit. and now we're trying to blame this, it seems, on two years of a democratic presidency. i think he is a great president. i think he is really trying to get a consensus and trying to work. we have got to stop the party politics and start moving a forward as a nation. in order to make things right. host: next up with a couple of minutes left, kenneth from tennessee. you made it on the air, go ahead. caller: how're you doing?

i am not concerned about the democrat and the republicans. i am a 28-year-old and i am trying to figure out what is the president going to do about the convicted felons? it is hard for them to get a job when they are trying to do the right thing. it is hard for convicted felons to get a job. host: thank you for your comments tonight. we are just about out of time on comments. you can continue if you like on twitter to add your thoughts on tonight's state of the union address or the republican response. we also have a facebook page set up to add to the commentary of others. we're continuing to aggregate the comments of people on twitter about the speech. you can find that on c-span.org on the state of the union paid. on the state of the union paid. that i