Washington (CNN) — Both sides agree that a thriving middle class is key to American prosperity, and that tax reform is part of the solution to chronic federal deficits. They both call for finally addressing the issue of undocumented immigrants. Otherwise, President Barack Obama’s first State of the Union address of his second term and the Republican response by rising GOP star Sen. Marco Rubio showed how deeply entrenched each side remains in long-held positions. It all portends continued political dysfunction in Washington. Obama begins a series of campaign-style appearances on Wednesday with an event in Asheville, North Carolina, to promote the economic themes of his roughly hour-long speech that prodded Republicans to compromise on the major challenges facing the nation. In his fourth State of the Union address and seventh speech to a joint sitting of Congress, Obama challenged legislators on Tuesday night to join him in taking on “our generation’s task” to ignite the growth of a “rising, thriving middle class.” “It is our unfinished task to restore the basic bargain that built this country — the idea that if you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead, no matter where you come from, what you look like, or who you love,” Obama said, sounding familiar themes from his re-election campaign last year. He emphasized economic growth and job creation, and insisted that his proposals would not increase the nation’s deficit, though the White House offered …
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