Castigating political partisans for never-ending "tired battles" that are making Americans cynical about government, President Barack Obama gave his first State of the Union address last night, shifting his priorities to creating jobs. He also said the government should intervene and craft legislation to help the middle class as they struggle with the high cost of health care, attempt to refinance mortgages, and pay off their student loans. "We have finished a difficult year, we have come through a difficult decade, but a new year has come," he said (via Bloomberg News). "We don't quit. I don't quit." The president proposed tax credits for small businesses and offered ways to tackle the federal budget deficit, which is forecast to be $1.35 trillion this year. The Internet is alight with stories and punditry in the wake of the speech, from Gawker's "All The Good Parts" to CBS News' "What You Might have Missed." Colorado Democrats, like Senator Mark Udall, have largely praised Obama's address. "I thought there was a lot to like in the president's speech tonight," Udall said (via The Greeley Tribune). Meanwhile, Republicans, such as Congressman Mike Coffman, are criticizing Obama. "The president's priorities continue to be out of step with the American people, and tonight his tired rhetoric reaffirmed that," Coffman said in a statement (via 9News). Congresswoman Diana DeGette, a Denver Democrat, says she supports the president's call for bipartisan solutions and urges the Senate "to consider important pieces of legislation already passed by the House, such as comprehensive food safety legislation, energy independence legislation, and the House-passed jobs bill."