Republican congresswoman and 2012 presidential candidate Michele Bachmann has called President Obama's address just another political speech, with no new proposals.

Bachmann — in remarks following the president's address — said government is not the solution to creating jobs. Instead, she said, job creation should be driven by what she called “free market, pro-growth” policies. She did not elaborate.

The Republicans did not present an official response to the president's speech — something the opposition party normally does for the annual State of The Union address.

Earlier, House Speaker John Boehner had encouraged fellow Republican lawmakers to attend Mr. Obama's jobs speech. Some had indicated they may not show up, and Boehner joked that most Americans would rather watch football than the presidential address. He was referring to the scheduled opening of the National Football League season Thursday night, with a game between the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers.