COUNTDOWN UNTIL THE HOWLING BEGINS

++Andrew Sullivan comes alive at the DISH about his preview of the SOTU tonight. Andrew points out that President Obama will propose the obvious because the United States has lost its edge in having the most wealthy middle class in the world. Yes, it's all political since the GOP will stop almost all his proposals. But Andrew is right that President Obama is trying to set out the long-term agenda for the Democratic Party. The Republicans will leap to protect the 1% when everyone knows they are the problem.

++Morning Joe scoffs at this pointing to polls showing that income inequality has not topped the charts in the concern of the average American.

++Republicans are already rehearsing their lines by saying "Obama blew a perfect chance to reach out. And he didn't."

++The e-mails from Republicans I have received are just vicious about his tax plans, although most of those people would not be negatively affected buy them. It is very peculiar.

++The other big e-mail item has been Obama's failure in the war on terrorism claiming his attitude in not sufficiently war-like. We have switched the channel these days and the GOP has swiftly reverted to their jargon under W. 

++President Obama will outline his plan on providing for free Community College, an initiative I support. Community College in Virginia have terrific programs to feed our Virginia state-wide college and university system. Two years and you are automatically accepted in a state university. This new initiative would cut student debt and provide access to college for many more low-income people.

++The President is supposed to speak about net neutrality, which will be opposed by the Republican-dominated Senate.

++Eleanor Clift claims at the Daily Beast that President Obama will surprise us with proposals to limit Citizens United. The idea is to point out that what he said the year it was passed has turned out to be true--floods of dirty money pouring into the political system.

++President Obama faces two contradictory sets of perceptions. The American people are more approving  of him since the mid-terms. The GOP talking heads believe he is just being defiant of the people's will, which I guess is supporting fascism. But the numbers break Obama's way. The GOP keeps talking that President Obama is abandoning his talking points from his Lawrence, Kansas speech where he said the most urgent issue now in America was strengthening the middle class. They are also putting out the line that the President has failed at "growth" in the economy. Interesting. 

++The other version of many e-mails is that President Obama shouldn't get credit for the economy. It was the GOP because they wouldn't let him do what he wanted caused the economy to progress. I have been watching the effects of GOP obstructionism and if you actually throw in Obama's jobs bill, his infrastructure bank,and relief to the long-term unemployed, we would be at 4.2% unemployment nationwide and be able to transition to a new economy.

++The good news about tonight is that we will again see President Obama unfiltered, which I think is the basic reason his polls have improved. No Republicans have dominated the press like Obama has for the last two months. 

++I just wish the Communications Office at the White House understood this. I think he has had one of the worst press offices since George H.W. Bush. 

++For those concerned about his proposal to raise the capital gains tax,you should know that he proposes taking it back to the days of Ronald Reagan. 

++The Earned Income Tax credit was another Reagan stand-by. 

++So the President is now finishing lunch with the heads of the networks. I'm surprised they are broadcasting this given their reluctance to show the President's speeches.

++The National Review now is saying that the SOTU is passé. This is a new line for the conservatives. The other is that not all Presidents deserve to have a library.