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Obama Defends Approach to Economic Crisis, Says 'D

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Obama Defends Approach to Economic Crisis, Says 'Devastation' Remains Obama Defends Approach to Economic Crisis, Says 'Devastation' Remains Defending his approach to the economic crisis, President Obama on Wednesday said Construction Machinery his administration acted "immediately and aggressively" to stave off a "second depression," but said the "devastation" remains.

The president acknowledged the economic hardship facing millions of Americans, as he opened his first State of the Union address with an eye toward laying out news jobs creation proposals and calling on Congress to salvage what it can of health care reform.

"One year later, the worst of the storm has passed. But the devastation remains #x. One in 10 Americans still cannot find work. Many businesses have shuttered. Home values have declined," Obama said. "For those who had already known poverty, life has become that much harder."

Obama compared the challenges he and the country face to historic setbacks like the Great Depression and the start of the Civil War,Energy saving lamps, but said the American people are being "tested" and must "answer history's call."

The president took the podium at a vulnerable time for his agenda, his party and his relationship with Congress.

Health care reform, which earlier this month seemed Construction Machinery on the verge of final passage, screeched to a halt last week after Republican Scott Brown won election to the U.S. Senate in the seat formerly held by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy. The victory broke the Democrats' supermajority in the Senate and heightened the party's anxiety over the November midterm elections.

He is expected to include a new push for immigration reform, something that has been on the backburner as Congress hunkered down for the better half of the last year to deal with health care reform. And he plans to call on Congress to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy prohibiting gays from serving openly in the military.

Obama also plans to seek a freeze on some domestic spending for three years, a move some Republicans call lip service to the idea of fiscal discipline.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, who is delivering the GOP response Wednesday night, plans to applaud the partial freeze proposal in his speech but call for much more belt tightening.

"The amount of this debt is on pace to double in five years, and triple in 10. The federal debt is already over $100,000 per household. This is simply unsustainable," McDonnell says Construction Machinery in prepared remarks. "The president's partial freeze on discretionary spending is a laudable step, but a small one. The circumstances of our time demand that we reconsider and restore the proper, limited role #x of government at every level."