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WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama is pledging to create "good, middle-class jobs" without adding to the nation's deficit.

In excerpts released ahead of his State of the Union address, Obama calls job creation his "North Star." He's imploring Congress to focus on how to attract more jobs to the U.S., equip Americans to compete for those positions and ensure that hard work leads to a decent living.

The president says none of his new economic proposals would increase the deficit "by a single dime." He says the country needs a smarter government, not a bigger government.