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U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) has been at the Capitol for the State of the Union speech many times before, but this time was different.

It was the first time she was there as a member of Congress, after accompanying her husband, retired Congressman John Dingell, in the past.

And this time, she was able to get in the president's ear ahead of the speech.

The new congresswoman was aboard Air Force One with the Obama when he flew to Metro Detroit earlier this month to address a crowd of auto workers.

"I told him the economic numbers look better, but in our district, there are too many people whose wages have remained stagnant... and they're not feeling the economic stability," Dingell said after the speech Tuesday night.

"They're feeling scared and tired."

She said she asked the president to put a strong emphasis on supporting the nation's middle class, and she believes he did that Tuesday night.

"I think this is the best State of the Union he's given," Dingell said.

"I'm very pleased to hear the focus on the middle class. It's been shrinking and we have to help grow it.... We need to grow it, we need to create more jobs and we need to support it."

Obama revisited themes of a Jan. 7 speech at a Ford Plant in Wayne in which he hailed the resurgence of the auto industry and Detroit's comeback from bankruptcy, paying tribute to Michigan's role in building and rebuilding the American middle class. 

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