Legacy, political calendar frame State of the Union

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama will challenge a divided Congress on Tuesday to back his proposals to create jobs for the middle class and produce a smarter, not bigger, government in a State of the Union speech that will lay out his second-term agenda.

"A growing [color=rgb(0, 110, 151)] economy [/color] that creates good, middle-class jobs - that must be the North Star that guides our efforts," Obama will say. [/size]Obama will enter the well of the House of Representatives for a 9 p.m. EST (0200 GMT on Wednesday) address to a joint session of Congress at a time when he is again locked in a bitter battle with Republicans over taxes and spending, and this tussle will cast a heavy shadow over his appearance. [size=medium]

Seeking to use momentum from his re-election victory, the Democratic president will urge Congress to adopt his proposals to increase taxes on the wealthy, overhaul U.S. immigration laws and enact tighter gun controls. [/size]Obama's speech marks a renewed focus on the U.S. economy as he tries to satisfy American worries about a stubbornly high unemployment rate of 7.9 percent. [size=medium][/size][/size]The White House has signaled Obama will urge U.S. investment in infrastructure, manufacturing, clean energy and education, despite Republican opposition to increased government spending and a political divide over how to tame the budget deficit. [size=medium][/size][/size]According to speech excerpts released by the White House, Obama will speak up for the middle class. [size=medium]