Obama's State of the Union Goals Gather Dust

Little movement on a lot of progressive objectives

Nearly six months after President Obama used his State of the Union address to outline a broad, progressive agenda for his second term, many of the policy priorities that earned applause from his base appear to be gathering dust.

The White House and Democratic allies insist that the president is making measurable progress on his goals, noting instances where Obama has taken executive action on his own or built coalitions with Republicans in the Senate.

They also argue that even where the president falls short of legislative wins, he has framed the issues to succeed down the road. Obama's continued push for priorities recognized as popular with voters forces Republican lawmakers to both oppose the measure and reinforce their obstinate reputation, strategists say.