One justice that was guaranteed oh, here is First Lady Michelle Obama walking in right now. Shes guaranteed to get applause from everybody. A bipartisan warm welcome for the first lady of the United States. There she is. Shes greeting dr. Jill biden, the Vice President s wife. Dana bash, our chief congressional correspondent, is there. Tell us what its like in the room right now. As you said, there is definitely a warm welcome. Im sitting right over where the republican side is. And not only are the republicans clapping for michelle obama. I can see several of the republican lawmakerses with their cell phones out taking photographs. And theyre smiling and clapping. Shes definitely somebody who has bipartisan adoration. Thats a fair thing to say. Mr. Speaker, the president s cabinet. The cabinet is coming in right now. They Just Announced them. There is the newly minted secretary of state, former democratic senator of massachusetts, john kerry, now secretary of state, followed by the secretary of defense, leon panet panetta, the attorney general eric holder. All the cabinet will be there this evening except for one member. Theres always one member who is designated to be in the bunker should the worst happen. And that member this evening is the departing Energy Secretary steven chu. So if the worst happens prepare for president steven chu. Wolf blitzer, already saying that he welcomes president chu. Steven chu, the Energy Secretary, the designated hitter god forbid in case of emergency. This will be one of theirs last official acts including, of course, the defense secretary leon panetta. Momentarily well hear paul irving, the house sergeant at arms announce that the president of the United States is coming in with those very famous words, mr. Speaker, the president of the United States. Then the president will walk in. You see members of the cabinet walking in including dennis mcdonough, the new white house chief of staff, at the top of the screen. Hes designated as a member of the cabinet, the white house chief of staff. John mccain, lindsey graham, theyre always together. Not surprisingly. Theyre good friends, allies on so many of these issues. This is a moment where so many members of the house and the senate, democrats and republicans, some actually try to sit together to demonstrate that there can be some bipartisan cooperation. Well see what kind of reaction the president of the United States gets when he utters some of the famous words that he will be saying. There you see, by the way, also behind dennis mcdonough, you see eric holder, the attorney general right there. But we did see susan rice, the ambassador to the unit, john boehner, the speaker, joe biden, the Vice President will be presiding over this session. Chris cuomo is watching it. As soon as the members of the cabinet come in, the president will be introduced. Thank you very much. Lets come back to our minds over here. Youre giving me ideas for what you want to talk about. We hear from the white house that this speech will be effective because the president is doing what he does best, speaking to the people. How tonight does they try to heal what is an obvious and maybe watershed type of hostility between the congress and the white house by going to the people . Can he achieve that . No, i dont think he can. The last four years tell us that. The president in excerpts released tonight will say that none of his proposals will add a dime to deficit. This is a president who promised to cut the deficit in half. Republicans are apoplectic. The divide is just steady here. The speaker talked earlier and the governor about the emotions of this gun thing. Put that question to the democrat in congress. Especially Senate Democrats up, will mary landrieu, max baucus, will they support a weapons ban. One of the reasons you talk to the American People outside of washington is when you have issues changing votes inside washington. Will he be pushing the gun issue, six months, nine month, 12 months from now . I think hes going to end up taking half a loaf, i think. Half a loaf . Yeah. What does that mean . Half a loaf on guns means that hell accept universal background checks. He wont get he already had those. Hell take that. And he may not get the high capacity magazine proposal that he wants. But the question is what is the president going to be willing to compromise on, what is he not willing to compromise on . And my big question this evening was the president was trying to be part of a grand bargain on entitlements. Lets see what he says tonight about whether that is stoinl table. He was going to try to speak to everybody trying to heal. In the second term he appears to have gone a different direction. In the inaugural address, hes being much more aggressive and going after republicans and hammering them every chance he gets. Thats why the speech will be aimed at his base, to mobilize his base against republicans. Hes asking the provocative question im going to change the future of entitlements. It will be successful bringing the people to his side . I do think hell talk to the people. His audience is, yes, congress is there, but it is over the top of them. And the question is he has said that he will compromise on entitlements. Hes put a couple on the table, but will the republicans compromise on revenues . Theyve said no way, no how. The president has cut, cut literally 1. 5 trillion so far, 2. 5 trillion worth of savings. The question is can they come a little furter to make sure theres a grand bargain . Because a bargain suggests that both sides are getting something. All this intelligence coming at me, im absorbing little of it. That makes me like most people. Insider talk, how much was cut, the bargain, the loaf, half the loaf, whatever gloria was saying. What do you thinked they need to hear right now . All president s speak to the country. No president would go into a state of the union to talk to the congress because youre trying to move the country, then through the country, get the country to move the congress. Second, i agree with david gergen. This president has a very clear strategy. He intends to demonize the republicans and to mobilize his base, and he intends to gamble that in 2014 he can win the house, keep the senate and have two years, the last two years of his administration fundamentally changing the country. Its a rational gamble on his part. How can he just dismiss that its so where he wants to demonize republicans . I want you to outline the words where hes demonizing the republicans. He may be demonizing people who be obstructionists and that might be some of those republicans, but if youre an obstructionist that means youre not willing to forge a compromise. Or it means that you dont want to do anything thats stupid. Its okay to obstruct stupid things. But hes compromised on taxes. The democratses have already compromised on cuts. Both sides have already compromised. The democrat have arguably more on cuts if you look dollar to dollar. Then the democrat will say thats ridiculous. You cant do that without medicare, Social Security and the big problems and revenue. Neither side will budge. The president cant get republicans to move on revenue and there are a whole burchl of newly elected democrat who say theyd never cut medicare. Spending is actually secondary to the economy in terms of the American Peoples concern. Yes. Im so happy to hear you say that. But i would urge people to listen tonight to see does the president put a single specific major reform of medicare, medicaid or Social Security or in fact is this essentially a speech thats almost a clintonesque speech. Lots and lots of interesting ideas most of which wont go anywhere but theyll sound good and hell get a bump for three days . Representative stockman said hed be live tweeting tonight. It ap fat tuesday as we move into the lenten catholic season. Tonight well have binging of promises, of parades, bad excuses. Obviously hes looking for it to be politically charged. But historically speaking, what is the chance for this president to engage the president and start a different dialogue to get away from all the left versus right hostility . I think thats one test that we should apply to the speech after weve heard it and does he step up to that or does he, what i think hes going to do, all the signals coming out of the white house, double down on the tone he set in the inaugural, which was a very combative tone. I would like to see him do just the opposite tonight. I happen to think this is his last chance to get a grand bargain. I think he has to change the tone of the conversation and put some things on the table. Lets get back to wolf. The president is about to be introduced by the house sergeant at arms, paul irving, with those very famous words mr. Speaker, the president of the United States. You see everyone standing right now. Theyre getting ready to hear from the president. Hell walk in, then it will take a while before he gets up to the podium. Jake tapper is up on capitol hill watching all this unfold as well. Jake, this is one of those rare moments where you got almost everyone of importance in washington in the same room. With the exception of dr. Steven chu, the Energy Secretary. Here were expecting the announcement, the famous words you were talking about. Hold on a second. Here he comes. Mr. Speaker, the president of the United States. You see the president. He smiles. All smiles. Hes happy as he meets members of the house and senate, some have been waiting hours and hours for a prime position. Hes being followed you see eric cantor, harry reid, the Senate Majority leader. Theyre part of the official Escort Committee who are there to bring the president in to the chamber. It will take him a while to get through this crowd. Hes shaking hands with everyone he sees there. As i said, a lot of these people have been waiting a long time just to get a shot with the president on this important historic night. Bandaided by the constitution that he should provide a report to the nation about the state of the union. The president will tell us what he thinks the state of the union is momentarily. Jake, you and i have seen a lot of these state of the Union Addresses. This is an important one because it kicks off the president s second term. Thats right. He will set the table for his second term. He hopes he will, anyway. I do find it so interesting that there are members of the house and senate that literally sit in those seats in the House Chamber for hours upon hours just for this moment, so they can shake the president s hand. Its often the same members of congress, congressman eliot engel, the man with the mustache we saw a second ago, always sitting in the aisle. Of course there are others in that chamber, wolf, as you know, who are there to convey a different sort of message, not one of wanting to meet the president , but perhaps illustrating a policy point. We have, for instance, in the chamber sitting with the first lady, the parents of hadiya pendleton, the young lady who was shot the other day. We have other. Theres the mother of hadiya pendleton. Others who were in sandy hook, victims of sandy hook. A teacher sitting next to the second lady. Caitlin who was a or is a first grade teacher at sandy hook elementary school. Dana bash in the chamber, you have been studying the relationship between president obama and House Speaker john boehner, one thats had its ups and downs. In the last couple days some fiery rhetoric from Speaker Boehner. The president just made a point to reach out his hand and shake his old rivals john mccains hand, as he was making his way to the podium here. Yes, on the issue of john boehner, i was at breakfast with him this morning. He was quite gruff on the president. He said he doesnt have the guts or the courage to stand up to the liberals in his own party in order to make a deal on the big issues, particularly deficit reduction. I talked to him later in the day and said, are you calling the president a wimp . He said, no, i just dont think hes able to do what it takes to stand up to them. Thats the kind of relationship or frankly nonrelationship that these two men who will be sitting a foot away from each other have. The president having just greeted all the members of the Supreme Court in attendance, including the two that he appointed Elena Sotomayor and kagan. Theres wolf bliter at cnn studios, hes almost at the point these are member s of the joint chiefs, diplomatic corps, cabinet and the senior white house staff there as well. You see the president. Hes about ready to go up to that podium. Jessica kyellin has been watching. What do you think about whats going on . This reminds me of our we always describe the president as a cool, detached man. Thats how the media likes to describe him. When you see him work the crowd, he likes to say i enjoy having a good time. You are reminded hes good at it. Hell work a room when he wants to. He just doesnt like doing it all that often. Hold on. The speaker is going to introduce the president. Lets listen in as the formalities continue. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Members of congress, i have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the president of the United States. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, mr. Vice president , members of congress, fellow americans, 51 years ago john f. Kennedy declared to this chamber that the constitution makes us not rivals for power but partners for progress. It is my task, he said, to report the state of the union. To improve it is the task of us all. Tonight, thanks to the grit and determination of the American People, there is much progress to report. After a decade of grinding war, our brave men and women in uniform are coming home. After years of grueling recession, our businesses have created over 6 million new jobs. We buy more american cars than we have in five years and less foreign oil than we have in 20. Our Housing Market is healing. Our stock market is rebounding. And consumers, patients and homeowners enjoy stronger protections than ever before. So together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis. And we can say with renewed confidence that the state of our union is stronger. But we gather here knowing that there are millions of americans whose hard work and dedication have not yet been rewarded. Our economys adding jobs, but too many people still cant find fulltime employment. Corporate profits have skyrocketed to alltime highs, but for more than a decade, wages and incomes have barely budged. It is our Generations Task then to reignite the true engine of americas Economic Growth. A rising, thriving middle class. It is it is our unfinished task to restore the basic bargain that built this country. The idea that if you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead. No matter where you come from, no matter what you look like or who you love. It is our unfinished task to make sure that this Government Works on behalf of the many and not just the few. That it encourages free enterprise, rewards individualization and every child across this great nation. The American People dont expect government to solve every problem. They dont expect those of us in this chamber to agree on every issue. But they do expect us to put the nations interests before party. They do expect us to forge reasonable compromise where we can for they know that america moves forward only when we do so together and that the responsibility of improving this Union Remains the task of us all. Our work must begin by making some basic decisions about our budget, decisions that will have a huge impact on the strength of our recovery. Over the last few years, both parties have worked together to reduce the deficit by more than 2. 5 trillion. Mostly through spending cuts but also by raising tax rates on the wealthiest 1 of americans. As a result, we are more than halfway towards the goal of 4 trillion in deficit reduction that economists say we need to stabilize our finances. Now, we need to finish the job. And the question is how. In 2011 Congress Passed a law saying that if both parties couldnt agree on a plan to reach our deficit goal, about a trillion dollars worth of budget cuts would automatically go into effect this year. These sudden, harsh, arbitrary cuts would jeopardize our military readiness, theyd devastate priorities like education and energy and medical research. They would certainly slow our recovery and cost us hundreds of thousands of jobs. Thats why democrats, republicans, Business Leaders and economists have already said that these cuts known here in washington as the sequester are a really bad idea. Now, some in congress have proposed preventing only the defense cuts by making even bigger cuts to things like education and job training, medicare and Social Security benefits. That idea is even worse. Yes, the biggest driver of our longterm debt is the rising cost of health care for an aging population. And those of us who care deeply about programs like medicare must embrace the need for modest reforms. Otherwise our retirement programs will crowd out the investments we need for our children and jeopardize the promise of a secure retirement for future generations. We cant ask Senior Citizens and working families to shoulder the entire burden of deficit reduction while asking nothing more from the wealthiest and the most powerful. We wont grow the middle class simply by shifting the cost of health care or college on families that are already struggling or by forcing communities to lay off more teachers, more cops and m