WHITEHO– USE: Get the most out of the State of the Union‏

JANUARY 2012

Good afternoon, LAST NIGHT , at 9:00 p.m. ET, President Obama will stand before Congress to give the State of the Union Address. He’ll talk about where we are as a nation, and he’ll lay out a blueprint for an America built to last.For weeks, we’ve been working to this point.The President has been brainstorming with the speechwriters and huddling with the policy team. He’s come up with new ideas, rewritten language, and reordered pages. For President Obama, this isn’t simply an editing exercise. He’s invested in creating the State of the Union because he sees it as his opportunity to take his vision for the country to the American people directly.Want to know what that looks like? We made a behind-the-scenes video to show you what went into this year’s State of the Union. Check it out, and stay tuned to watch the speech with us at 9:00 p.m. ET:   To make sure you get the most out of the State of the Union, we’ve put together an enhanced version of the speech. As the President outlines his plans for 2012, you’ll see key facts and figures. We’ll present charts and infographics so that everyone can get a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges ahead of us.We hope you’ll join us after the speech as well — when a group of policy experts and senior White House staff will sit down to discuss the President’s remarks online and answer your questions.The best place to learn more about the State of the Union is at WhiteHouse.gov. Dig in and watch the speech with us:http://www.whitehouse.gov/sotuMoving forward, the President will do everything he can to turn this blueprint into reality — and you can help. We need a vigorous debate about these ideas. So lift up your voice, share your views, and spread the word.Thanks, David Plouffe Senior Advisor to the President   The State of the Union and Your Questions Last night, President Obama delivered his State of the Union Address and laid out his plan for an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, new skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values. Throughout the speech, the President discussed ideas for building an America that lasts. He called it a blueprint for the future and talked about ways to make his vision reality. In case you missed it, be sure to check out the video of the enhanced State of the Union: WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU Over the next few days there are plenty of ways to get involved and ask your questions about the President’s speech. On Monday, January 30, President Obama will answer your questions about the State of the Union in a first-ever Google+ Hangout from the White House. You can submit your questions and vote for your favorite questions on YouTube.com/WhiteHouse. On Thursday, January 26, Vice President Biden will answer questions submitted by people from across the country in his first Twitter interview. You can submit your questions now using the #SOTU and #WHChat hashtags and be sure to follow @VP to see his responses. In addition, senior White House officials will be answering your questions about the speech through a series of Office Hours on Twitter. Checkout the full lineup of over 30 White House officials below, and start submitting your questions using the hashtag #WHChat and follow along at @WHLive. Learn more about these events and find out how to get involved: WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU Here’s the full lineup of events: Wednesday Office Hours Schedule All Day: Josh Earnest, Principal Deputy Press Secretary, answers your questions on Twitter (@jearnest44) 1:00 p.m.: Office Hours with Mark Zuckerman, Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council 3:00 p.m.: Office Hours with Dan Pfeiffer (@pfeiffer44), White House Communications Director Thursday Office Hours Schedule 10:00 a.m. Veterans: Matt Flavin, White House Director of Veterans and Wounded Warrior Policy 11:00 a.m. LGBT: Miriam Vogel, White House Senior Policy Advisor and Gautam Raghavan, White House Associate Director for Public Engagement 12:00 p.m. Women: Racquel Russell, Special Assistant to the President for Mobility and Opportunity and Avra Siegel, White House Deputy Executive Director for the Council on Women and Girls 1:00 p.m. Seniors: Jeanne Lambrew, Deputy Assistant to the President for Health Policy and Nick Papas, Assistant Press Secretary 1:30 p.m. Live Twitter interview with Vice President Biden (@VP) 2:00 p.m. Latinos: Felicia Escobar, White House Senior Policy Advisor, Julie Rodriguez, White House Associate Director of Public Engagement and Luis Miranda, White House Director of Hispanic Media 4:00 p.m. Small Business Owners: Christine Koronides, Senior Advisor for Economic Policy, National Economic Council 5:00 p.m. African Americans: Danielle Gray, Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Policy 6:00 p.m. Asian American Pacific Islanders: Chris Lu, Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary Friday Office Hours Schedule 9:00 a.m. Disability Issues: Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy 10:00 a.m. Rural Issues: Doug McKalip, Senior Policy Advisor for Rural Affairs 11:00 a.m. Foreign Policy: Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting 12:00 p.m. Education: Zakiya Smith, Senior Policy Advisor for Education, Steve Robinson, Special Assistant at the Domestic Policy Council, and Mary Wall, Policy Assistant at the Domestic Policy Council 1:00 p.m. Health: Jeanne Lambrew, Deputy Assistant to the President for Health Policy and Nick Papas, Assistant Press Secretary 2:00 p.m. Energy: Heather Zichal, Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change and Dan Utech, Deputy Director for Energy Policy 3:00 p.m. Consumer Protections: Brian Deese, Deputy Director National Economic Council 4:00 p.m. The Economy: Jason Furman, Principal Deputy Director National Economic Council 5:00 p.m. Job Opportunities: Portia Wu, Senior Policy Advisor for Mobility and Opportunity Policy 6:00 p.m. Urban Issues: Racquel Russell, Special Assistant to the President for Mobility and Opportunity Monday January 30 President Obama participates in a Google+ Hangout from the White House.  Submit your questions on YouTube.com/WhiteHouse.