SOTU: President Obama gave one of the speeches of his career last night, focusing his State of the Union message more on big ideas and great aspirations than a political agenda for the last year of his presidency. He posed “four big questions” about economic opportunity, technology and climate change, national security, “And finally, how can we make our politics reflect what’s best in us, and not what’s worst?”

He made a call to “fix” American politics and remove the influence of big money. While Obama was not hawking a legislative agenda, his speech was not without political elbow shots. Some moments:

-“Anyone claiming that America’s economy is in decline is peddling fiction.”

-“Food Stamp recipients didn’t cause the financial crisis; recklessness on Wall Street did.”

-“Look, if anybody still wants to dispute the science around climate change, have at it. You’ll be pretty lonely, because you’ll be debating our military, most of America’s business leaders, the majority of the American people, almost the entire scientific community, and 200 nations around the world who agree it’s a problem and intend to solve it.”

– “Masses of fighters on the back of pickup trucks and twisted souls plotting in apartments or garages pose an enormous danger to civilians and must be stopped.  But they do not threaten our national existence.”

– “Democracy grinds to a halt without a willingness to compromise; or when even basic facts are contested, and we listen only to those who agree with us.  Our public life withers when only the most extreme voices get attention.”

It’s customary for the political opposition to sit placidly no matter what the president — any president — says that may be true or inspirational in a State of the Union message. Obama received a standing ovation from both parties only when he said the following: “The United States of America is the most powerful nation on Earth.  Period.  It’s not even close.”

The Response: In an unusual Republican response speech, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley admitted that her party is partly responsible for the divisions and inaction in Washington. And she obliquely criticized the Republican presidential candidates. “During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices. We must resist that temptation.”

Swift Boated: Ten US sailors were freed by Iran today after brief captivity. Iran has taken into custody two small US Naval patrol boats and their crews that Iran claims were “snooping” a mile inside their territorial waters. The US says one of the boats had a mechanical breakdown. The American boats were fast 38-foot riverboats used to patrol shallower waters in the Persian Gulf. Iran likely doesn’t want to bust the big nuclear agreement. They are on the brink of having $100 billion in assets unfrozen.

Succession: Hillary Clinton’s 20-point lead over Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination has eroded to just seven points, according to a new NY Times poll. Sanders, who has been unusually candid for a politician about money in politics and the corruption of Wall Street, has Hillary Clinton looking over her shoulder.

The Football Business: NFL owners yesterday voted to let the St. Louis Rams return to Los Angeles, which they left after the 1994 season. The league stiffed the Oakland Raiders on a bid to go to Los Angeles, but voted to allow the San Diego Chargers to join the Rams at a new stadium in Inglewood, south of downtown Los Angeles.

So, suddenly a city in which almost no one bemoans the lack of a football team might get two of them.

The Odds: The drawing for the record-setting $1.5 billion Powerball lottery is tonight.

Local news reporters like to make comparisons for your odds of winning. They say your chances of the following are more likely than winning the Powerball.

-Dating a supermodel.

-Being killed by a vending machine.

-Having identical quadruplets.

-Being killed by a falling coconut.

-Being a local news anchor with an original thought.

Okay, we made up the last one.

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