Not a true "State of the Union" (presidents typically don't give one in their first year), but President Obama's first appearance before a joint session of congress had all the trappings

MID-HUDSON – President Obama’s address to Congress Tuesday night promised the American people “we will rebuild” and the United States “will emerge stronger than before.”

The President laid out an agenda for energy independence, healthcare reform and educational opportunities for all Americans.

Jonathan Drapkin, president of Pattern for Progress, a Hudson Valley based public policy and research planning institute, said the address applies to the local level.

“You get to the sentence where he says, ‘in words and deeds, a new era of engagement has begin’, but that is what must be applied here in the Hudson Valley, whether it’s how we look at our economy and job creation, how we look at how we teach, how we provide preventive healthcare and ultimately create new forms of energy, it must begin at home,” he said.

Congressman Maurice Hinchey said he remains “extremely confident that President Obama is the leader who can help guide us out of trouble and lead us to much more prosperous and peaceful times.

Congressman Eliot Engel said he is ready to work with the President “to bring about the kind of change that he promised to the American people.”

Congressman John Hall said the President “presented to us an honest assessment of where America is now and the blueprint of how we are going to get where we want to be economically.” Hall said getting there “is going to require some tough choices, but the economy will recover and America will get back on its feet.”