Highlights of the State of the Union speech by President Obama. (in chronological order from bottom of page)

President Obama wraps up by repeating an earlier theme: Those of us who’ve been sent here to serve can learn from the service of our troops.”

President Obama is outlining his 2012 agenda — including issues he will likely take to the campaign trail this fall — during tonight’s State of the Union address:

10:12 p.m. — President Obama wraps up by repeating an earlier theme: Those of us who’ve been sent here to serve can learn from the service of our troops.”

He urged bipartisanship by citing the night of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, noting that he sat next to a defense secretary who had worked for both George Bushes (Robert Gates) and a former political opponent (Hillary Clinton).

Big finish:

This Nation is great because we built it together. This Nation is great because we worked as a team. This Nation is great because we get each other’s backs. And if we hold fast to that truth, in this moment of trial, there is no challenge too great; no mission too hard.

10:11 p.m. — President Obama says there will be defense cuts, but the military will remain strong; urges better care for returning veterans.

10:05 p.m. — President Obama begins to wind up the speech with another review of foreign policy — Iraq, Afghanistan, the Arab Spring, Libya, Syria.

There is a warning to Iran: “America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal.”

Obama also says, “the renewal of American leadership can be felt across the globe … America is back.”

10:03 p.m. — President Obama says he’s prepared to act on his own this election year, — but I can do a whole lot more with your help.”

“Because when we act together, there is nothing the United States of America can’t achieve,” Obama says.

10:00 p.m. — President Obama cites gridlock in Washington: “I’ve talked tonight about the deficit of trust between Main Street and Wall Street. But the divide between this city and the rest of the country is at least as bad — and it seems to get worse every year.”

Among his proposals: Campaign finance reform, end insider trading by members of Congress, and change the filibuster rule in the Senate.

9:58 p.m. — President Obama delivers a memo to the Republicans seeking his job, citing his proposal to have millionaires pay at least 30% in taxes:

Now, you can call this class warfare all you want. But asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary in taxes? Most Americans would call that common sense.

9:57 p.m. — We’re into the fourth pillar of President Obama’s blueprint: Values.

That includes taxes, as Obama proposes tax reforms to end breaks for millionaires (is Mitt Romney listening?)

Obama makes a proposal on the so-called Warren Buffett rule that will yield another headline: “If you make more than $1 million a year, you should not pay less than 30 percent in taxes.”

9:54 p.m. — Obama urges Congress to (again) extend the payroll tax cut; the current two-month extension ends in February.

9:53 p.m. — Another headline, an investigation into the housing crisis: “Tonight, I am asking my Attorney General to create a special unit of federal prosecutors and leading state attorneys general to expand our investigations into the abusive lending and packaging of risky mortgages that led to the housing crisis.”

9:51 p.m. — President Obama defends two signal achievements of his term: The health care law, and new Wall Street regulations. Republicans plan to run against both in the fall elections.

9:49 p.m. — President Obama says he doesn’t like unnecessary regulations, but backs “smart regulations” over financial firms. Again, a cold reaction; Republicans say Obama’s regulations would stifle economic growth and job creation.

9:47 p.m. — The housing crisis comes up, as President Obama proposes new mortgage re-financing rules.

CAPTION

By H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY

9:46 p.m. — President Obama urges more money for roads, bridges, and other infrastructure: “Do some nation building right here at home.”

9:45 p.m. — President Obama doesn’t specifically mention Solyndra — the bankrupt energy company that received federal dollars — but makes an apparent reference while contrasting clean energy companies with oil companies:

“We have subsidized oil companies for a century. That’s long enough. It’s time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that’s rarely been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that’s never been more promising.”

9:41 p.m. — A Solyndra reference? “It was public research dollars, over the course of thirty years, that helped develop the technologies to extract all this natural gas out of shale rock — reminding us that government support is critical in helping businesses get new energy ideas off the ground.”

Later, the same theme: “Our experience with shale gas shows us that the payoffs on these public investments don’t always come right away. Some technologies don’t pan out; some companies fail. But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy.”

9:40 p.m.– A discussion of energy innovation leads to another pillar of Obama’s blueprint: Energy independence.

In a headline, Obama says: “Tonight, I’m directing my Administration to open more than 75 percent of our potential offshore oil and gas resources.”

But oil is not enough, as Obama discussed more production of natural gas (with environmental protections), and “clean energy.”

9:36 p.m. — The immigration issue surfaces.

President Obama again tours “comprehensive” immigration reform with both border security and a pathway to citizenship. He gets a very mixed reaction; Republicans oppose what they call “amnesty” for illegal immigrants.

Obama also extolls the Dream Act, providing citizenship to children of illegal immigrants who go to college or serve in the military.

9:34 p.m. — President Obama tells lawmakers to stop “bashing” teachers and help them improve education. Of course, teachers’ unions are big supporters of Obama.

As for college, Obama urges Congress to provide more student aid, and for states to provide more financial help to colleges, “making higher education a higher priority.”

He also tells colleges: “If you can’t stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down.”

CAPTION

By Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty Images

9:28 p.m. — President Obama begins the pivot to a second pillar of his blueprint: Education.

He cites one of his guests in the audience, a North Carolina woman named Jackie Bray, who went back to school to get re-training.

9:27 p.m. — The manufacturing discussion touches on trade.

President Obama announces creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit “that will be charged with investigating unfair trade practices in countries like China.” Note: Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich have also protested Chinese trade practices.

9:25 p.m. — President Obama’s manufacturing discussion touches on the rebuilt U.S. car industry, tax breaks for companies that move jobs from overseas back to the U.S., and the elimination of tax breaks for businesses that send jobs overseas.

Obama will return to the tax issue later in the speech.

9:21 p.m. — President Obama begins to lay out his “blueprint” for the economy, starting with the first of his four “pillars:” Manufacturing.

9:19 p.m. — A staple line of these speeches: “The state of our Union is getting stronger. And we’ve come too far to turn back now.”

Then comes a warning to Republicans: “As long as I’m President, I will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum. But I intend to fight obstruction with action, and I will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place.”

9:17 p.m. — Obama reviews the details of the financial crisis he inherited — but argues that things are starting to turn around.

9:15 p.m. — After a brief foreign policy section, Obama talks about Americans in the past have worked together “to get things done” — a plea for bipartisanship.

Also speaks about the continued search for the American Dream, and alludes to growing income inequality: “we can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by. Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.”

9:12 p.m. — President Obama opens by talking about how he recently greeted returning service members after completing their mission from Iraq — and cites last year’s death of Osama bin Laden.

The military can serve as a model for members of Congress, he says.

“They’re not consumed with personal ambition,” he says. “They don’t obsess over their differences. They focus on the mission at hand. They work together. Imagine what we could accomplish if we followed their example.”

By Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP

9:05 p.m. — The immortal introduction from the sergeant-at-arms: “Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States!”