This week, President Obama delivered his seventh and last State of the Union address. Regardless of where one stands on his policies/politics, he gives one hell of a speech.

Post-game analysis was fairly predictable. Republicans panned it policy-wise while Democrats were falling all over themselves with praise. It was, to me, reminiscent of President Reagan’s final SOTU, the wrapping up of two terms in a nice package. This is a compliment to both men.

The traditional “other party” -- in this case Republican -- response was noteworthy, and for a number of reasons.

Update, 1/14/16: The Washington Post reported Thursday that a federal judge ruled against the three plaintiffs in the lawsuit challenging the GOP loyalty pledge, ruling that the plaintiffs did not provide sufficient enough evidence that voters would suffer "irreparable harm" by taking the pledge.

To solve a problem, we have to ask the right question. For example, is our goal to increase the minimum wage or to reduce poverty? If our goal is to reduce poverty, the next question would be: what is the best way to reduce poverty?

By taking this approach, we would more clearly see increasing the minimum wage is a tool to achieve our goal of reducing poverty. And we would be more open to alternatives, which in combination with a minimum wage would better enable us to achieve our goal such goal.

Lolly Bentch-Myers is a mother of three and full-time activist with Pennsylvania's Campaign4Compassion. Her daughter, Anna, has Mesial Temporal Sclerosis, a brain condition that causes intractable epilepsy, insomnia, and autism. There are not many options for kids like Anna, or moms like Lolly.

Independent Maps, a nonpartisan coalition seeking redistricting reform in Illinois, applauded President Obama Wednesday for making congressional redistricting reform a priority in his final State of the Union address. The group now urges the president to support independent redistricting in his home state.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- We are less than a month away from the start of the 2016 presidential primary and caucus season. On February 1, the Iowa caucuses will kick off the 2016 election cycle. A little over a week later, the New Hampshire primaries will follow. The process goes on through spring as both parties choose a presidential ticket for the 2016 election.

CHICAGO, Jan. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new study by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) shows the types of health insurance choices consumers have had through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces from 2015 through 2016.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership, also known as the TPP, was just released to the public after negotiations in November 2015. The White House backs the deal claiming that it will serve human rights, environmental, labor, and American economic interests well. Opponents, however, accuse the proposal of expanding corporate powers at the expense of those interests.

The story of Senator Edmund G. Ross is a well-known story of the power of a deciding vote in American history. Ross held the vote that acquitted President Andrew Johnson from removal of office, initiated because of his unpopular Reconstruction policies.

John F. Kennedy chronicled the story in his Profiles of Courage, published in 1957 before his presidency while recovering from back surgery.

While Ross was one of seven to 'defect' from the Republican-led impeachment, he was really only one vote in 54, with 19 others also voting for acquittal.