US News

Prez will try to sell pols on spending

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WASHINGTON — President Obama will deliver his annual State of the Union Address tonight, asking a dramatically more hostile Congress for even more spending on what he calls “investments.”

The White House refused yesterday to reveal specifics about the proposed new spending, but Republican congressional leaders expressed concern about the notion of piling more debt on the current historic level of red ink.

“To me, ‘investment’ that comes from Washington is [a] code word for more spending,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said yesterday.

“I think that is anathema not only to most families and small businesses, but anathema to what is going on at the state levels, for sure, and what most people think Washington should be about,” he said.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs dodged several attempts by reporters yesterday to glean specifics about the new spending, but said generally that the speech would also call for new deficit-reduction measures.

Previously, Obama has indicated he would ask for new investments in infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, and in education and technology.

He also is expected to talk about raising the level of civility in political discourse in the wake of the Tucson, Ariz., shootings of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others, six of whom died.

In the audience as a special guest of Obama’s will be the family of slain 9-year-old Christina Taylor-Green, as well as Daniel Hernandez, the intern credited with saving Giffords’ life.

Not in the audience tonight will be Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, who last year shook his head in disdain while Obama publicly excoriated the high court’s decision easing restrictions on corporate spending in elections.

The breach of protocol between the executive and judicial branches was startling and uncomfortable for members of the court, who sit in the front row, near the president’s rostrum.

So much so that Chief Justice John Roberts later told audiences that the address had become a political event and indicated he may not attend future State of the Union speeches.

A court spokesman yesterday did not say whether Roberts or any associate justices other than Alito might skip tonight’s speech.

One who is almost certain to attend will be Justice Elena Kagan. It will be her first State of the Union.

New York’s congressional delegation, meanwhile, will show a bipartisan spirit by sitting with members of the opposite party.

Sen. Chuck Schumer will sit with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand will sit with Sen. John Thune (R-SD).

churt@nypost.com