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Capitol View®
Tom Scheck

Kelliher to attend Obama speech

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DFL House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher will be in Washington D.C. to attend President Obama's speech to Congress. The news release says Kelliher will be a guest of DFL Rep. Keith Ellison:

House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher will attend this evening's State of the Union address delivered by President Barack Obama. Kelliher has been invited to the U.S. Capitol by Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison.

"This is an extraordinary time in our country. We face enormous economic challenges, but Americans are also inspired by President Obama's message of hope." said Speaker Kelliher. "I am truly honored for the opportunity to witness this historic event."

While in the nation's capitol, Kelliher will take part in meetings with members of Congress regarding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed last week by President Obama. Legislative leaders continue to receive new information about the recovery package and how states can best prepare to receive the federal funding.

"As states compete for this money, I want to ensure that Minnesota communicates clearly with Washington, D.C." said Speaker Kelliher. "We are grateful for the hard work of our congressional delegation. The Minnesota Legislature will do all it can to maximize the impact of those federal dollars."

Kelliher is traveling at her own expense to attend the Presidential address. She will leave for Washington later today and return tomorrow morning.

One clarification on the news release. It's not a State of the Union speech.

Update: Since you asked....

NPR's Ken Rudin provides some detail on why it's not a State of the Union speech:

But sometimes a president wants his address to be far more focused. Obama wants tomorrow night's speech to concentrate on the nation's economic problems, not everything under the sun. And that's why it's not a State of the Union address.