Live-blogging the state-of-the-union address

IT SEEMS like only yesterday that Barack Obama was licking his wounds after a mid-term election in which his party was thoroughly "shellacked". But a successful lame-duck session and Mr Obama's deft handling of a tragedy in Tuscon have restored some of the lustre to his presidency. Improbably, when the president addresses a joint session of Congress tonight, he will do so from a position of increasing strength. Polls show Americans are more optimistic than at any other time in his presidency, and his personal poll numbers have risen apace.

But state-of-the-union speeches are rarely political game-changers, and this one is more likely to be remebered as the opening thrust in a battle with Republicans over the federal budget and economic policy. We already know that Mr Obama will propose a partial spending freeze, but Republicans want deeper cuts, and a government shut-down is not out of the question. Others may see Mr Obama's speech as the first of the presidential campaign season. There will certainly be no shortage of critiques from ambitious Republicans. For now, though, the critiques of your ambitious bloggers must suffice. So let's sit back and see what the president has to say.

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9:37: This "yay teachers!" stuff makes me feel warm, yet it's important to note that at this point the economic gains from s! ending t he marginal high-school grad to college is pretty low.

9:36: I'm glad the president is giving career advice. I have some friends who have sort of been casting around ever since they saw "Black Swan" and decided not to become ballerinas.

9:35: "Become a teacher. Your country needs you." His stab at an "Don't-ask-what-your-country" meme.

9:34: But Mr Obama's general approach to education should be very attractive to Republicans, if not to the teachers' unions.

9:33: Interesting that Mr Boehner clapped in response to the president's plan for reauthorising "No Child Left Behind". Some Republicans think that "Race to the Top" was too prescriptive.

9:32: I know people who have won science fairs. They do get rewarded. Trophies! Scholarships! Fawning coverage in local papers!

9:31: Would he have thrown in that Super Bowl line if the Bears hadn't lost on Sunday?

9:31: All of these cool technological innovations he's touting really makes me wish we weren't broke.

9:30: I cannot think of a worse model for future growth than the bygone space-race which was little more than hugely wasteful technological peacocking by cold-war superpowers.

9:30: Does 80% of energy from clean sources = I don't care about voters in Kentucky and West Virginia?

9:28: No applause from Mr Boehner at the threat of withdrawing oil-company subsidies.

9:28: Bravo to the oil-company suggestion.

9:28: Very nice balance here between praising private-company innovation and reminding listeners that said innovation often began with government-funded research. We're not just handing out money. We're telling scientists and engineers that if they come up with an idea, we'll hand out money.

9:27: The current National Security Strategy says that America's economy "serves as the wellspring of American power." But ! really, culture is the wellspring. If the rise of China encourages American politicians to talk about that, as Mr Obama was just doing, that's going to be a significant potential upside.

9:26: Didn't you hear Blue, China has the fastest computer...

9:25: If "this our generation's Sputnik moment", what is the equivalent of Sputnik?

9:24: Very mercantilist in tone. As though it were a zero-sum game. Surely, we want other countries to "build", tooideally with our inputs.

9:23: I believe Mr Obama implied that in other countries, students "just memorise equations" and don't "answer questions like 'What do you think of that idea? What would you change about the world? What do you want to be when you grow up?'" Interesting.

9:22: I like the emphasis on greatness through workit both softens and sharpens what has so far been a rather gloomy speech.

9:21: Prediction: At some point during the evening, he will propose "simplification" of the tax system, and not mean it. Wouldst that he did (mean it)....

9:20: China has the fastest computer! I did not know that.

9:17: The "enhanced" video stream of the SOTU on whitehouse.gov has cool graphics and facts in the margin. It's the era of the multimedia SOTU.

9:16: I may be wearing my China goggles, but the president's comment at the opening of this Tucson passage, that even contentious debate should be recognized as part of what makes a strong democracy, is new (for Mr Obama, at least) and likely to become more common.

9:15: Word on the street is that the color of Obama's tie is periwinkle.

9:14: Does seating John Boehner in a leather chair count as camouflage?

9:12: Brian Williams just informed his audience of "aisle hogs", members of Congress who station themselves in the aisle to ensure a presidential handshake and a moment of te! levision time.

9:08: By way of review, the New York Times has a graphic plotting the most popular SOTU words over the years. This year I expect an uptick in "compete."

9:07: The theme of tonight's address is said to be "winning the future". I take it this is assured provided we do not all die. Low bar!

9:05: Apparently, we have Woodrow Wilson to thank for all of this.

9:03: To put the night in perspective, Nate Silver: "The most common public response to the State of the Union is none at all."

9:03: I love Michelle's dress. And John Roberts's.

9:02: How long before Fox gives Charles Krauthammer a white cat to stroke in his lap? It seems inevitable.

9:00pm (EST): Mr Speaker, Mr Vice-President, members of Congress and fellow Americans: Allahu Akbar.