Mr. Speaker, Vice President Cheney, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, fellow citizens: Every year, by law and by custom, we meet here to consider the state of the union. This year, we gather in this chamber deeply aware of decisive days that lie ahead.

United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. - THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Mr. Speaker, Vice President Cheney, members of Congress, members of the Supreme Court and diplomatic corps, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens: Today our nation lost a beloved, graceful, courageous woman who called America to its founding ideals and carried on a noble dream.

February 2, 2005

BUDAPEST, Hungary - Eight European leaders voiced deep gratitude to the United States on Thursday and wrote that U.S.-European ties “must not become a casualty’’ of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s attempts to “threaten world security.’’

Mike Reagan: Last Thursday marked the 31st anniversary of the Iranian Islamic Revolution. Iranian leaders, including the state's religious leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, have decided to "festively" commemorate this anniversary by vowing to deliver a powerful punch to the West.

WASHINGTON - A B-52 bomber was mistakenly armed with six nuclear warheads and flown for more than three hours across several states last week, prompting an Air Force investigation and the firing of one commander, Pentagon officials said Wednesday.

Eighty-two-thousand instead of 120,000 this week. One million Americans have given up even looking for non-existant jobs. Obama promised that his stimulus package would keep Unemployment down below 8 percent. The White House and the Democrats in the Senate and Congress said the stimulus would lower unemployment to 6 percent. Folks, we have an America in “free fall.” An America saddled with a $15 trillion Obama deficit. An America headed for the “poor house”, a third-world economy.

Americans will be asked this Thursday to take time to pray at least five minutes for what is being called "The Freedom Five," or the "Five Points of Prayer: Government (including the military), media, education, church and family."

Luis Gonzalez remembers the day his mother said goodbye. With a blessing and the sign of the cross, she left him and his two sisters in Tijuana and set off with a human smuggler across the mountains and into San Diego for what she hoped would be a better life.

Luis Gonzalez remembers the day his mother said goodbye. With a blessing and the sign of the cross, she left him and his two sisters in Tijuana and set off with a human smuggler across the mountains and into San Diego for what she hoped would be a better life.

Thousands of Arizonans are expected to gather today outside public buildings and in parks, stadiums and houses of worship for the 52 nd annual observance of the National Day of Prayer.

PARIS - Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy won the French presidency by a comfortable margin Sunday and immediately signaled his victory would mean friendly relations with the United States.

If you're looking for an indicator of the condition of society, go no further than to note that we live in an age where even the president of the United States has to schedule his addresses to the nation to avoid conflicts with "American Idol" and playoff games.

NEW YORK - At the height of uncertainty four years ago about who would emerge from that contested election to become president of the United States, this column confidently advised financial market participants not to worry too much about the outcome, but instead focus on traditional market-influencing factors.

TEHRAN, Iran - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani arrived in Tehran on Monday amid increasing calls for Washington to enlist Iran's help in calming the escalating violence in neighboring Iraq.

DAMASCUS, Syria - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held talks with Syria's leader Wednesday despite White House objections, saying she pressed President Bashar Assad over his country's support for militant groups and passed him a peace message from Israel.

OUR NATION’S LEADER: There are many activities parents can do with their children to help them think about what it means to be president of the United States. Molly Cota, a first-grade teacher at Tempe’s Evans Elementary School, suggests a few activities that have helped her students brainstorm about the subject.

THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. I've asked for a few minutes of your time to discuss a matter of national importance -- the reform of America's immigration system.

 “I thought the purpose of Presidents Day was getting steep discounts on furniture and linen.”

President Obama has delivered his address on the 2012 budget. Predictably, conservatives will denounce it as being vague and lacking detail. Sure it was. And predictably, liberals will hail it as giving direction to Congress as to what he will not sign into law in an effort to protect social programs. Surely it did. But the president made it abundantly clear that even cuts to spending in these social programs remain on the table.

The abortion flap over President Barack Obama's invitation to speak at Notre Dame's graduation is getting all the attention.