State Of The Union Date Set

The president will deliver his first State of the Union address on Wednesday, January 27, his aides said today, ending speculation that the White House was eager to hold off until health care reform was finalized in Congress.  No word yet on why the White House chose the earlier of the two potential dates -- the latter being the next Thursday in February -- but one guess would be that the president wants to try to clear the deck quickly of all the detritus remaining from a very tough month -- a month that could include the loss of the Democratic supermajority in the Senate.  Also: the president will propose his FY11 budget on 2/1.