In the annual State of the Union address, on Jan. 25, President Barrack Obama portrayed government action as the solution to the nation’s problems.

“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 share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules,” said Obama.

At the start of his speech, he talked about the nation’s slow recovery, and the accomplishments that the country had achieved during the last year.

The crowd leapt to their feet in applause when he declared that terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden would no longer be a threat to the country.

He said that the country was slowly but steadily recovering from the recession, and he said that he would fight any effort to return the policies that caused it.

“We’ve come too far to turn back now,” said Obama.

He then moved on to address the changes that were necessary in the coming year. The basis of Obama’s speech was improving the desperately wounded economy.

He delivered the challenge to shrink the gap between the poor and the rich by taxing the rich and allowing more jobless Americans find work.

To fix the education problems in the United Sates, Obama offered specific steps to help students get to college.

Seeking support from the republicans for the upcoming election, President Obama invited the party to join him in the fight to improve the nation.

“We can do this,” he said. “I know we can.”

For more information go to the White House’s website.