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Having spent 14 years as an Air Force pilot, flying both combat rescue helicopters and B-1 bombers, I understand the tremendous strain that the years since 9/11 have placed on our military equipment, our soldiers and their families. The result of our long fight against terror is that our nation has become war weary and understandably reluctant to get into another fight.

The State of the Union address presents the president with a unique opportunity to not only lay out his legislative goals, but to set the tone of the political discourse for the coming year. When a president vilifies the other party, we can be sure gridlock will follow. But when the president expresses a willingness to find common ground, the other party often reciprocates.

CHICAGO — Perhaps it is nothing more than an accident of timing that as federal workers brace for a summer filled with unpaid furlough days, their leaders are traveling the nation and globe on trips that exude luxury.