State of the Union

February 12, 2013 (WABC) -- Fired up, ready to go. That was Barack Obama's home-stretch campaign chant back in 2008. Reality took the fizzle out of that mantra after he took office. The economy, Republicans, and the President's apparently deep-seeded penchant for avoiding conflict and confrontation - all conspired to take some of the hope out of Mr. Obama's quest for change.

If you believe the early buzz, the President isn't going to Capitol Hill tonight looking for any hand-holding, ring-around-the-campfire session. Will this State of the Union speech - his fourth as President, not fifth, because his first month in office he gave what's called an "address" to Congress - fear a fired-up, ready-to-go Barack Obama? There are many who predict it will, and that we'll see a more assertive President tonight.

He will push jobs, gun control, withdrawal from Afghanistan, and jobs. Did I mention jobs twice? For good reason, right?

You can watch the State of the Union speech on Ch. 7, on 7online and on our iPhone and iPad apps, beginning at 9, and then a complete wrap up, with our political reporter Dave Evans in Washington, tonight at 11.

Also at 11, Meteorologist Lee Goldberg is predicting just what we don't need: More snow. He's tracking it to arrive for tomorrow night's commute.

We'll also have any breaking news of the night, and Rob Powers is at the beginning of baseball's spring training with the Yankees in Tampa. I hope you can join Sade Baderinwa and me, tonight at 11.

BILL RITTER

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