Obama previews State of the Union address to supporters

Charles Dharapak/AP

President Obama on Saturday offered a preview of his upcoming State of the Union address, telling supporters in a campaign video that he plans to "lay out a blueprint for an American economy that's built to last" when he speaks Tuesday evening. He promised to talk about programs that will bring what he will call "a return to American values." The video was emailed to supporters Saturday morning by the Obama campaign and closed with an appeal from the president for his backers to use the address as a way to get together with other supporters.

In his brief remarks, Obama said his State of the Union will build on what he said Dec. 7 in Osawatomie, Kan., where he laid out a populist program with fairness for the middle class.

While he said he is "not done writing it yet," he described Tuesday's address as "a bookend to what I said in Kansas last month about the central mission we have as a country, and my central focus as president. And that's rebuilding an economy where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded, and an America where everybody gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everybody plays by the same set of rules."

He will cast this as "a make-or-break moment for the middle class" and will warn that the country "can go in two directions. One is towards less opportunity and less fairness. Or we can fight for where I think we need to go: building an economy that works for everyone, not just a wealthy few." He said he will use Tuesday's address "to talk about how we'll get there."

The president said he will talk about American manufacturing, promising "more good jobs and more products stamped with 'Made in America,' " energy policy and programs for the education and training of workers. He described these as "big ideas."

He also warned his supporters that "there might be a few late nights" at the White House before Tuesday as he completes the speech.