Barack Obama's State of the Union: Joe Biden Amused, John Boehner Less So [VID]

US President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union speech on Tuesday night, describing 2014 as a "breakthrough year for America" whose success should depend on "the strength of our work ethic and the scope of our dreams."

Obama's right-hand man, Vice-President Joe Biden, looked amused during Obama's speech, laughing at the President's humour. However House Speaker John Boehner, 64, was less tickled.

The video below captures the reaction of Boehner, 64, as Obama describes him as the "son of a bar keep" in an attempt to demonstrate that any American can enjoy a successful career with hard work.

Obama also advised the divided congress that he will act alone, saying "wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that's what I'm going to do."

The US president said he was driven to act by the widening gap between rich and poor.

"The cold, hard fact is that even in the midst of recovery, too many Americans are working more than ever just to get by, let alone get ahead. And too many still aren't working at all."

Boehner, however, was not able to hide his scepticism for the president's words. As Biden rose to applaud his boss, Boehner stayed resolutely in his seat.