Why Isn Obamas Speech A State Of The Union Address?
Tuesday night will be Obama’s first address to a joint session of Congress. Ordinarily, we would refer to this as the State of the Union address. However, it might not be that easy. The Constitution says that the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” The formal “State of the Union” address didn’t become custom until 1947 with Harry Truman. A State of the Union address is basically just that: a report on the state of the union. According to the White House, Obama wants Tuesday’s speech to focus on the nation’s economic problems. Since very little else will be discussed, the White House is shying away from calling it a State of the Union address. Comment on this story.
