Does speech mark Obama's shift toward the middle?
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In Tuesday night's nationally televised State of the Union address, U.S. President Barack Obama moved toward the political center by giving a little something to everyone.
Reaching out to Republicans and the business community, the Democratic president said the United States must become "the best place on earth to do business."
He also called on Congress to lower the massive U.S. deficit and reduce corporate tax rates, and left open the possibility of tweaking parts of his health care overhaul.
In a nod to Democrats, Obama called for government investments in clean energy, and argued for passage of the DREAM act -- a bill that would provide a path toward citizenship for children of those who have entered the United States illegally.
For all those in between, Obama addressed a myriad of issues, ranging from relations with Iran to U.S. education, in a speech that lasted for more than an hour.
The president's speech came after a self-described "shellacking" in November's midterm elections, in which Democrats lost control of the House and Republicans gained seats in the Senate.
It also came at a time when the White House is scrambling to reverse what some in the business community have dubbed -- rightly or wrongly -- as the president's "anti-business" stance.
A recent flurry of business-friendly activity included visits to factories, speeches on the economy and talks with business leaders.
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