This week, President Obamagave his State of the Union speech,the last one before he seeks re-election in November.BARACK OBAMA: "Tonight I want to speak about how we move forward and lay out a blueprintfor an economy that is built to last-- an economy built on American manufacturing,American energy, skills for American workersand a renewal of American values."Tuesday night, Mr. Obama told Congressand the nation that "the renewal of American leadershipcan be felt across the globe."BARACK OBAMA: "Anyone who tells youthat America is in decline or that our influence has waned,does not know what they are talking about."He also talked about what he called"the defining issue of our time."BARACK OBAMA: "We can either settle for a countrywhere a shrinking number of people do really well,while a growing number of Americans barely get by.Or we can restore an economywhere everyone gets a fair shotand everyone does their fair shareand everyone plays by the same set of rules."On foreign policy issues, he noted thatfor the first time since two thousand three,no Americans are fighting in Iraq.He spoke about progress in Afghanistan,where American troops are beginning to withdraw.He also discussed the killing of Osama bin Ladenand the "wave of change" across the Middle East and North Africa.He noted that today, in Libya, Moammar Gadhafi "is gone."BARACK OBAMA: "And in Syria, I have no doubtthat the Assad regime will soon discoverthat the forces of change cannot be reversed,and that human dignity cannot be denied."The president said American-led international pressureon Iran is having an effect.He said he "will take no options off the table"to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.BARACK OBAMA: "But a peaceful resolution of this issueis still possible, and far better.And if Iran changes course and meets its obligations,it can rejoin the community of nations."President Obama did not talk about issuessuch as North Korea, Middle East peace effortsor the European debt crisis.Daniel Serwer at the Johns Hopkins University Schoolof Advanced International Studies in Washingtonsays that was because of the election campaign.DANIEL SERWER: "It seems to me very significantthat a lot was left out and that the presidentis trying to refocus away from broad international commitmentsand toward some very specific, mostly domestic commitments."The president did talk about China's trade policies.He announced plans to create a Trade Enforcement Unitto investigate reports of unfair trade practices.Governor Mitch Daniels of Indianagave the Republican Party reactionto the State of the Union speech.He called Mr. Obama's policies extreme and "pro-poverty."MITCH DANIELS: "No feature of the Obama presidencyhas been sadder than its constant efforts to divide us,to curry favor with some Americans by castigating others.As in previous moments of national danger,we Americans are all in the same boat."The day after his speech, the presidentbegan a three-day trip to five states across the country.The states were Iowa, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado and Michigan.All are considered political "swing states,"which could help decide the election.In the Nevada, for example,the president discussed his proposalsfor increasing American energy developmentwhile protecting the environment.Republicans denounced his recent rejection of a proposed pipelineto move natural gas from Canadian tar sand fields to Texas.The four remaining candidatesfor the Republican nominationdebated in Florida Thursday night.It was their last debate before that big southern stateholds its primary election on Tuesday.And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.