President Barack Obama Speech State of Union Broadcast Live from IRAN TV

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama, in what amounts to a nationally televised kickoff to his re-election campaign, used his State of the Union address to present a sharply populist economic vision designed to draw contrast with his eventual Republican rival this November. Mr. Obama's third State of the Union address hit themes Americans will hear throughout the year as he works to convince voters to give him a second term. Mr. Obama called for a steep tax increase on the wealthy, offer a new potential fix for homeowners struggling to refinance and propose legislation intended to discourage companies from shipping jobs overseas. Besides a call to extend a temporary payroll-tax cut through the end of the year, most of Mr. Obama's other ideas will have a slim chance of passing in a polarized Congress ahead of the election. Others he can enact unilaterally, such as the creation of a government task force designed to crack down on China by enforcing trade laws. The president's goal is to cast himself as a leader working to revive a struggling middle class, while painting Republicans as defenders of Wall Street and wealthy Americans. Republicans call that class warfare and say their goal is to free the economy from the shackles imposed by his administration. "We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by. Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair <b>...</b>