The State of the Union

Today has been filled with articles on President Obama's achievements, promises fulfilled, and promises yet to be fulfilled to prepare us for his State of the Union address tonight.

You can find the full text of the speech via Talking Points Memo.

Some of the better background-information articles (and a videos!) I enjoyed are below:

Andrew Sullivan's extensive defense of Obama's record here from the Daily Beast.

ThinkProgress highlights what the Consumer Protection Bureau has already done for you!

The Daily Beast did a quick round-up of "Obama By the Numbers".

ThinkProgress posted Jon Stewart's interview with Kathleen Sebelius explaining what the Affordable Care Act law has achieved so far.

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Plus, ProPublica notes some of the goals the President has yet to achieve.

More on tonight's speech:

Unfortunately, many of Obama's efforts to fight climate change have been stalled due to Republican backlash, and he, to my great disappointment, continued to push for more domestic oil and gas production along with his push for more renewable technology.

Obama pushes the "Buffet Rule" - that Americans making over $1 million should pay at least 30% in taxes (Many millionaires, like Mitt Romney, pay about 15% in taxes since their primary income is not filed as "income" but rather "capital gains" since they are from investments rather than actual work. Capital gains are taxed at about 15%, which is a significantly lower rate than the 26% that most Americans pay.)

Talking Points Memo highlights this argument on everyone paying their fair share of taxes as particularly succinct and clear:

We don't begrudge financial success in this country. We admire it. When Americans talk about folks like me paying my fair share of taxes, it's not because they envy the rich. It's because they understand that when I get tax breaks I don't need and the country can't afford, it either adds to the deficit, or somebody else has to make up the difference - like a senior on a fixed income; or a student trying to get through school; or a family trying to make ends meet. That's not right. Americans know it's not right.

I have to agree. That's solid.

And just for fun, check out Key and Peele's "Obama's Anger Translator":