Technically speaking, U.S. President Barack Obama's address to a joint meeting of Congress on Tuesday was not a state of the union speech. The president has been in office a little more than a month and he felt that was not enough time to render a judgment on the state of the nation. In fact, the speech he gave to Congress and his constituents was indistinguishable from such presidential addresses. It noted the severe challenges that the country faces and outlined his vision to deal with them. The key pillars of his agenda reflect those identified in his campaign and the speech itself echoed his inaugural address Jan. 20. The question is whether Mr. Obama has the muscle to get his program through a balky Congress — and whether events will derail his ambitious plans.

It is hard to believe that Mr. Obama has been in office for just one month. During that time he has mustered through Congress the largest stimulus package in history, and unveiled mortgage protection plans and a bank recapitalization program. His first budget, released the day after his speech to Congress, totals a staggering $3.55 trillion, and he aims to cut the record $1.75 trillion deficit in half by 2013.

To move the nation he has had to walk a fine line, one that stresses the urgency of action without creating a panic of its own. The twin needs were evident in his victory speech in November, when he eschewed soaring rhetoric and focused on the difficult tasks that lie ahead. There were elements of Tuesday's speech in his inaugural address, when he pointed to false choices that had been made in the past and the failure to look ahead.