"Finish the job" - this call was repeated tonight by Joe Biden 12 times during the annual State of the Nation address, which he delivered before the houses of Congress, and it seems that this was not only a call to Republicans to cooperate but also more than a hint about his intentions for next year's presidential elections.
Biden appeared before Congress when most Americans believe that his achievements are not promising, his support rate is close to the lowest, and even the Democrats - members of his party - are not satisfied with the possibility that he will try to be re-elected to the White House.
However, the president sought to convey confidence and optimism.
Part of the speech was devoted to trying to find flags that the Republicans could also wave along with the Democrats - or at least not stick sticks in the wheels.
Both parties, Biden said, can support the creation of new jobs and the financing of 20,000 infrastructure projects.
Shaking hands with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican Kevin McCarthy. "There is no room for quarrels for the sake of quarrels", photo: IPA
If during the mid-term elections Biden described the Republicans as extremists, tonight he spoke about them in a more conciliatory tone and described them as fellow travelers.
"If we worked together in the last Congress, there's no reason why we can't do it in the new Congress as well," he told the lawmakers, "the nation has sent us a clear message - quarrels for the sake of quarrels and force for the sake of force get nowhere."
The president, who in the second half of his term will have to find ways to cooperate with the Republican majority in the House of Representatives, emphasized his desire to "restore the soul of the nation" and strengthen the middle class.
Among other things, the president brought up the possibility of imposing a minimal tax on the billionaires and spoke on behalf of the "average man".
"No billionaire should pay a lower tax rate than a school teacher or a firefighter," Biden said to applause from the bipartisan audience.
But when the president criticized the Republicans for their intention to cut funding for Medicare, the show of unity disappeared and legislator Marjorie Green yelled at him "liar!"
An interruption in the middle of the rather ritualistic State of the Nation address was not unprecedented, but Biden chose not to ignore it - and engaged in an exchange with the lawmakers who interrupted him.
Senior officials in the White House will later say that Dean and these things only benefited Biden.
"He receives energy from the audience," said one of them, "it was impossible to write a more successful moment."
International relations also took place in the speech.
The Biden administration, we will recall, adopted a strict policy in relation to China and even took steps to deter Beijing, such as supporting the arming of Japan, tightening the security alliance with Australia, Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and, just last week, the expansion of cooperation with the Philippines.
But the Chinese balloon that penetrated the airspace of the United States and cruised freely in its sky made the administration a target of sharp criticism from the American right. Biden did not ignore the affair, but touched on it in a vigorous shorthand. "As we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect the country.
And so we did," he said.
Last year's State of the Nation address was overshadowed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began a few days before.
So it seemed that Moscow's sisters-in-law were going to eliminate Ukrainian sovereignty in a short time.
This time in the background was the firm stand of Ukraine and the Ukrainians, who won and are receiving wide support from the US in particular and the West in general.
Biden talks with his deputy, Kamala Harris, after the speech, photo: AFP
Biden thanked Congress for approving the aid packages for Kiev, the cost of which reaches 30 billion dollars, and addressing the Ukrainian ambassador, who was present at the plenary, said: "America is united in its support for your country. We will stand by you as long as it takes."
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