US President George W. Bush will take the tonight spotlight from Democratic presidential candidates fresh from the Iowa caucus with his State of the Union speech.
Although Mr Bush's aides said the president's speech is not a political undertaking nor a campaign event, the annual address allows the president to take the national stage and speak uninterrupted to Americans for upwards of an hour.
Speaking to a joint session of Congress and to millions watching on television, Mr Bush will stress his commitment to America's security and economic prosperity in the face of perceived threats from terrorists and a recovery not generating many new jobs.
Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg
With the US death toll now over 500 in Iraq, Mr Bush will defend the Iraq war on the basis that Saddam Hussein was removed from power and a chance for democracy in the heart of the Middle East was created.
Last year Mr Bush used the State of the Union to accuse Iraq of possessing all manner of dangerous weapons, none of which has been found. He also suggested a Saddam link to al-Qaeda - since disavowed. This has led to Democratic appeals for an independent commission to investigate the development and use of intelligence related to Iraq.
"I hope the president triple-checks his facts in this year's speech, because last year's State of the Union was riddled with misstatements and untruths," said Senator Frank Lautenberg, a New Jersey Democrat.
Mr Bush is also expected to cite Libya's decision to abandon weapons of mass destruction as evidence that his foreign policy is working and extend an offer to other countries with such weapons to give them up.