Player of the week: President Obama

He will lay out his agenda for 2011, a year in which the chances of bipartisan compromises are higher than they have been in a decade.

During his address last year, Obama said his top priority was creating jobs, which he will surely repeat on Tuesday night.

{mosads}But in so many ways, his speech will be different from the 2009 and 2010 versions.

With new Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) behind him alongside Vice President Joe Biden, Obama will strike a more bipartisan tone. 

The president and Republicans struck a major deal in the lame-duck session to extend the expiring Bush tax rates. Even though the GOP got much of what it wanted in that accord, Obama’s approval ratings have subsequently improved.

Still, Obama has a long way to go if he is to cruise to a second term. The nation’s economy is ailing, and unless it improves, another wave election could be coming in 2012.

Despite the skepticism of many pundits, the president can get a lot done in the 112th.

The assassination attempt on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) has fostered a bipartisan spirit in Congress, evidenced by Democrats and Republicans opting to sit together during Tuesday’s address.

Issues that could attract the backing of both parties include energy, education and trade.

The president and congressional Republicans will undoubtedly disagree on healthcare reform throughout this year and next. They will also bicker over government spending, but in order to avoid a government shutdown, theywill have to compromise.

If anything of significance is going to be accomplished, it will have to be done soon. Presidential politics will dominate news cycles in the latter half of this year and into the election year.

Obama and House Republicans are going to be bolder now than they will be next year. So the next six months will be a key indicator of what lawmakers will accomplish before the 2012 elections.