海角大神

If annual State of the Union presidential messages to Congress were thought of as made in Hollywood (which, in a way, they are), then the Sunday news shows ahead of that event are the trailers.

Sure, there may be some unexpected fireworks Tuesday night when President Obama聽delivers his fifth official address on the state of the Union.

Who can forget Rep. Joe Wilson (R) of South Carolina bellowing 鈥淵ou lie!鈥� during a joint address to Congress by Mr. Obama in 2009, for which Mr. Wilson was formally rebuked by the House of Representatives? Or US Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito 鈥� in his sober black robe, sitting right down there in front 鈥� mouthing the words 鈥淪imply not true鈥� when Obama took the high court to task for its decision on campaign finance?

But in previews of the speech, both sides are sticking to script 鈥� laying out positions, trying to shape the analysis and commentary that will follow.

First Republicans, whose rebuttal right after Obama speaks will be given by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington State, the highest-ranking woman in the House of Representatives.

In what amounted to a 鈥減rebuttal鈥� Saturday, Sen. Roy Blunt聽(R) of Missouri said Obama has "a lot of explaining to do."

"If all he has to offer is more of the same, or if he refuses to acknowledge that his own policies have failed to work, the president is simply doing what many failed leaders have done before him: trying to set one group of Americans against another group of Americans," Senator Blunt said. "We don't need more class warfare, and we don't need more interference from Washington.鈥�

I wouldn鈥檛 expect to hear Obama talk much about 鈥渇ailed鈥� policies, say, the deadly attack in Benghazi, Libya, or the initial mess with the Affordable Care Act's website.

But Blunt鈥檚 reference to 鈥渃lass warfare鈥� and 鈥渋nterference from Washington鈥� hints at the direction Obama is likely to take in his speech and beyond.

He can be expected to use 鈥渉is pen and his phone, to try to move the ball forward,鈥� White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer said on CNN Sunday. In other words, if he can鈥檛 be any more persuasive than he has been with congressional Republicans, he will use his pen to sign executive orders making things happen on his own. (See Monitor White House correspondent Linda Feldmann鈥檚 cover story 鈥淚s Barack Obama an imperial president?鈥�)

In a rare Sunday news show appearance, White House press secretary Jay Carney said on ABC's "This Week," 鈥淭he president sees this as a year of action, to work with Congress where he can and to bypass Congress where necessary. To lift folks who want to come up into the middle class.鈥�

To many Republicans (like Blunt), what they hear when Obama talks about lifting up folks into the middle class 鈥� especially any reference to 鈥渋nequality鈥� 鈥� is 鈥渃lass warfare.鈥�

Obama has called inequality in America the 鈥渄efining issue of our time.鈥� And although you may hear the words 鈥渙pportunity鈥� and "mobility" more than 鈥渋nequality鈥� in his speech, the intent is the same.

鈥淭he address will include a 鈥榟ealthy dose鈥� of the income inequality message the White House has focused on in recent weeks, according to one senior administration official familiar with the text,鈥� The Hill newspaper reports.

鈥淭he president, who has yet to add to the big legislative accomplishments of his first term, will call for raising the minimum wage to $10 per hour and extending federal unemployment benefits that expired last month,鈥� according to this report. 鈥淗e will also discuss energy and college affordability, two other issues that relate to the economic mobility message that is a major White House theme ahead of this year鈥檚 midterm elections.鈥�

Obama鈥檚 poll numbers have gone way down since his reelection in 2012. Republicans seem inclined to wait him out, strengthening their congressional power this year and looking ahead to 2016.

So for a president headed toward lame-duck status, this State of the Union message to Congress and to American voters may be more important than ever.