Ill shut up now. Thats it for us. That was a medical tip . That was a medical tip. Leave the fat ones alone. Special report is next. President obama delivers his state of the Union Address with Foreign Policy hot spots getting hotter and domestic proposals already getting major push back on capitol hill. This is special report. Good evening, welcome to washington. We are about three hours from the start of president obamas next to last state of the union speech. This time the president will be on what has become gop home turf. A Capital Building in complete political control of republicans. That means a focus on plans for massive increases and a middle class tax cut is exploding are
already getting eye rolls from a skeptical audience. One of the biggest skeptic Mitch Mcconnell will join us next. Chief White House Correspondent ed henry is live with a preview. Reporter aides say the president wants to tout progress in the economy but some major crisis may get in the way. For every state of the Union Address there are the images the white house wants the public to see such as president obama in the Oval Office Making final preps and then the images of the world burning like the deepening crisis in yemen where the government is facing a coup. And also today iran signing a military alliance with russia. Im not sure how much time president obama will devote to the very serious threats facing this nation. I think americans in such Uncertain Times first and
foremost crave safety and security and leadership. Reporter yemen in flames as rebels took over the president ial palace while shots were fired at a u. S. Embaesz vehicle. All of this embarrassing for the commander in chief who four short months ago held it up as a success story. Recently eliminated the Top Commander of its affiliate in somalia. This tragedy of taking out terrorists who threaten us is one that we have successfully pursued in yemen and somalia for years. Reporter that may be one reason the president created another image today. As he puts less emphasis on National Security and more on his plans to double down on tax the rich policies that paint him as the guardian of the middle class. Creates an opportunity to do right now is to focus on
policies that benefit the middle class. The president thinks that is the best way to grow the economy. The president will focus on more domestic policy that will shape his legacy and the 2016 Campaign Even though the plans are going nowhere fast in the new Republican Congress. Lets remember that last year we had the alltime Record Number of receipts of dollars coming into the United States treasury. What do the democrats want to do . Their insatiable desire to raise taxes and pour hundreds of billions of additional dollars into government. That is not going to help grow the economy. Reporter aides say the president will be touting cooperation with republicans and are hinting he will be defiant at other times by teeing up more vetoes and more executive action. Moments ago i spoke with Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell. I asked what he is expecting
tonight. Sounds like another campaign speech. I wish the president would remember he is not running again. He has two years left no point in making a campaign speech. What i would love to see since American People have given us divided government and has done very significant things for the country is an emphasis on things that we can agree on. There are a few like trade comprehensive tax reform maybe, infrastructure. If you look at what they released before the speech you may think the president was going to run for reelection. Take a listen to the White House Press secretary talking about this tax plan. We have 58 consecutive months of private sector job growth. In the Third Quarter of last year we saw strongest growth in more than a decade. Our economy is demonstrating resilience. This creates opportunity to focus on policies that can benefit the middle class. We can raise the Capital Gains rate back to the level it was
under president reagan and use that revenue to make sure that middle class kids can go to college and working mom and dads can get an extra tax credit to help afford child care. They have it down to the talking points. What is your response . It is great that the economy is picking up. Nothing like low gas prices to make that happen. I think that is terrific. The question is whether it is a good idea to raise taxes on anybody at this particular point. I mean, we dont need a tax increase. The president got several of them already. Rates are very high on most successful people in the country. He is suggesting that we levee a tax on small businesses. I think that is the last thing we ought to be doing. He is certainly correct that the middle class has not enjoyed any kind of recovery. If there has been recovery it has been among people at the top who under this president who is always talking about how terrible it is that people at the top are somehow getting away with something, they have made
out in fine fashion during the obama years. Its the middle and lower income people who are behind. That is because this has been an uneven recovery benefitting only those at the top getting the economy going doing things like approving the Keystone Pipeline would create 42000 jobs according to his state department is the kind of thing we ought to be doing. So they have a lot of bullet points that obviously the president will hit on in the majority of the speech tonight. They said november of 2014 was best year of job growth. Most of the overall wage growth exceeded inflation. Health care employer premiums lowest rate on record and on energy the u. S. Is leading work in oil and natural Gas Production solar and wind up as well. Some of those things are true. The government had absolutely nothing to do with the energy boom that we are experiencing. The job creation if you look at the number of people looking for work, the number of people looking for work is at the lowest level since the carter administration. A lot of people have given up and dropped out. Im glad the economy is Getting Better but it is not morning again in america. You would not be able to convince working class americans and lower income americans that they have benefitted from the policies of this administration. Basically what the president is apparently going to offer tonight is more of the same tax and spend, tax and spend. We asked people to tweet in questions. One came from jay murray. He said could you ask what if anything they have a 67 vote threshold on, a veto proof majority on . Is there an issue that you can convince enough democrats to override a veto . I hope so but the president doesnt set the agenda in the senate. He is trying to tell us what we should and shouldnt debate based upon what he intends to do
with it. We were elected by the American People, too. They chose a Republican Congress. The president doesnt set our agenda. I hope that he will end up agreeing with us on some of the initiatives that we are going to pass most of which will enjoy bipartisan support members of his own party supporting like the Keystone Pipeline. If he chooses not to do it then the American People understand we just have a different point of view about how to get the country moving again. Do you see this as a first card putting down in the negotiation or do you think it is so far apart from what you have heard that this is just vision for his legacy and his party . It is hard to be encouraged by the utterances that the president has made in almost a de defiant way since the november election which was a defeat for his party not only at the congressional level but state and local level, as well. I dont think the American People were sending a message that they were happy or wanted
more of the same. They were saying we want a fully divided government. We would like for you guys to figure out things you can agree on. They were not saying that they wanted the president of the United States to set the agenda in the new majority in the United States senate. We are going to do what we think the American People expect us to do try to move the country in a different direction. I hope he will sign on. If he doesnt the American People understand we have a different point of view. On Foreign Policy you have a different point of view. If you look at the world at the map you have yemen today, libya, iraq afghanistan syria iran signing a military deal with russia today, troubles in ukraine, what do you say about this president s Foreign Policy . He went to cairo and said if we work out more things would be better. He did not leave a residual force behind in iraq. When the ukrainians asked for
military assistance to defend themselves we sent blankets and meals ready to eat. I think our adversaries around the world think america is in retreat. So they react accordingly feeling that they can be pretty aggressive. Take the iran nuclear issue. We already had two extensions. There will probably be a third. The iranians know the president loves to talk. Will sanctions go forward . I hope so. What the iranians need to know and we can be helpful to the president on even though he doesnt want it is to say to them if at the end of the current discussion supposedly to end this summer there is no deal you get tougher sanctions. You dont get them now but you get them if there is no outcome. You dont think it blows up the deal . No because the talks continue but you know there needs to be an end date to it or you get a worse case of sanctions. If there is an agreement it
needs to come to congress to be approved so that we have part ownership of this, as well. The American People dont expect this policy to be 100 unilateral on behalf of the president only. Guantanamo bay the president , this administration seems adamant that they are going to close it one way or another. Is Congress Going to let them cephal. We are going to do everything we can to prevent that. Guantanamo bay is the Perfect Place for these Foreign Terrorists. The administrations policy has been two fold either to kill them with drones. I dont necessarily oppose that but a dead terrorist cant talk or to capture a terrorist overseas and put them in a u. S. Court where they are given a lawyer and told to shutup. The most important thing you can get from a terrorist is information. Guantanamo bay is the Perfect Place for the location of Foreign Terrorists who can give us information to thwart the next attack. Do you expect to be standing up and applauding much tonight . I will applaud for trade and maybe a few other lines but i think it entirely depends on how the president presents himself. As always thank you. Please join me for complete coverage of the president s address and the republican response will begin at 8 55 eastern time. We will have an expanded panel and Wisconsin Republican will join us live. Up next how tonights state of the Union Address sets the stage for the 2016 president ial race. First a look at what the fox affiliates across the country are covering. Six members of a family are unaccounted for as a fierce fire reduced a waterfront mansion to scorched stone framework. Relatives say they believe the six were inside at the time of
the blaze. Khon in honolulu where pro golfer thanks a woman who he says saves his life. He says he was kidnapped, robbed and beaten friday night. The woman says she saw him arguing with two men and intervened. He says he does not remember most of what happened. This is a live look at cincinnati from fox 19 and the scene of a deadly construction accident that shut down the southbound lanes of interstate 75. An overpass collapsed and killed a worker last night. Officials are not sure when the lanes will reopen. That is a live look from special report. Heartburn. Did someone say burn . Try alka seltzer reliefchews. They work just as fast and are proven to taste better than tums smoothies assorted fruit. Mmm. Amazing. Yeah, i get that a lot. Alka seltzer heartburn reliefchews. Enjoy the relief. We are expecting a heavy dose of what the president calls paying your fair share and what republicans call class warfare tonight in the state of the Union Address. That will likely be a foundation of the democratic play book in 2016. Chief Political Correspondent is here tonight with thoughts on that. Obviously 2016 gop president ial contenders disagree with most of what the president will propose tonight. Mitt romney and jeb bush were here in d. C. Today to raise money off the opposition of president s proposals. They scheduled fundraisers around the state of the union knowing conservatives will probably be eager to write big checks. Romney and bush are not giving interviews, no reaction to the state of the union but they expect the president will be setting the table for 2016 for Hillary Clinton with a speech of not very subtle messages of that class warfare. Can clinton pull that off . Doesnt the Democratic Party think she is too cozy . Sure. They do. She is not really going to help herself tomorrow. Turns out clinton will give two speeches in canada that raise
eyebrows all over again. They are cohosted by the bank of commerce which is being investigated by the u. S. By helping wealthy americans evade taxes. Bad timing and precisely why the warren wing will continue to show misgivings. I am sure we will hear populous messages. Arent the gop prospects sounding more populous . They want to cut taxes so people can keep more of their money. The trick for both parties will be developing a growing economy. It is a gop field but four are getting special attention this weekend. Kentucky senator rand paul, scott walker marco rubio and ted cruz have gotten much coveted invitations to speak to a freedom partners conference this weekend. For the conservative philanthropy of the koch
brothers. They have an obvious affinity for rand paul. Walker is a conservative governor of a blue state who fought free labor and won. Rubio can help grow the gop. Cruz is a Tea Party Rebel known for bucking the establishment. The republicans are going to seize what the president says today and campaign against it for the next year and a half. We will follow it all. Ted cruz and rand paul will be on after state of the union tonight. The dow gained four. S p 500 finished ahead three and nasdaq up 20. How isis terrorists have been a major thorn in president obamas side since the last state of the union speech. First how cuba figures in to tonights address. One Foreign Policy subject we will likely hear a lot about tonight is the effort to restore relations with cuba. James rosen tells us many in the audience have a personal stake in the issue. Reporter acuban dissident who spent 17 years in the castro brothers jail will attend the state of the union as the honored guest of House Speaker boehner. Marco rubio is bringing daughter of a slain cuban dissident. Seated with the first lady will be allen gross, the usaid subcontractor detained in cuba and freed as part of the secret diplom
diplomacy. Mr. Obamas allies pleaded for bipartisan support in the lifting of trade and travel restrictions that only congress can overturn. The president is moving in areas of trade and travel as we hope he will do to expand these opportunities, but we have to do our part in congress. Reporter when she leads the u. S. Delegation to cuba assistant secretary of state will raise issues. I do not think we are talking about direct human rights condition ality in the restoration of diplomatic relations. This is clearly a onesided approach by the president to give the cubans a major moral and political victory in. In the book back channel. Its coauthor predicts the president s initiative will face
real trouble in the gopcontrolled congress. One of the earliest battles will be when the president nominates an ambassador and Senate Confirmation will be rough. Another hurdle will be appropriations for converting into an embassy. Aides to secretary of state kerry that if he decides by june the opening of the embassy will proceed. The Supreme Court as unanimously ruled that a muslim prison inmate in arkansas can grow a short beard for religious reasons. The justices said the state could not substantiate claims that it posed a risk. How isis made 2014 a very long year for president obama. With psoriatic arthritis, i had intense joint pain that got worse and worse. Then my rheumatologist prescribed enbrel. Im phil mickelson, pro golfer. Enbrel helps relieve pain and stop joint damage. Ive been on the course and on the
road. Enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. Serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and Blood Disorders and allergic reactions have occurred. Before starting enbrel, your doctor should test