WASH­ING­TON–Pres­i­dent Barack Oba­ma says 2013 can be a year of sol­id eco­nom­ic growth, but on­ly if Wash­ing­ton gets out of the way.In his week­ly ra­dio and In­ter­net ad­dress, Oba­ma says there are signs of progress in re­al es­tate, man­u­fac­tur­ing and job-cre­ation.But oth­er signs are wor­ry­ing. Un­em­ploy­ment ticked up from 7.8 per cent in De­cem­ber to 7.9 per cent in Jan­u­ary. And the Com­merce De­part­ment says the econ­o­my shrank at an an­nu­al rate of 0.1 per cent in the fi­nal months of 2012.

Oba­ma says the US must low­er health care costs and close tax loop­holes for cor­po­ra­tions and the wealthy.In the Re­pub­li­can ad­dress, Rep Su­san Brooks of In­di­ana says De­moc­rats must get se­ri­ous about the na­tion's spend­ing prob­lems. She's call­ing on Sen­ate De­moc­rats to pass a bud­get.

AP