By Thomas McKinless and Rema Rahman

Following President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union Address, Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., told CQ Roll Call he liked Obama’s appraisal of the United States’ role in the Middle East going forward. “He made an effective argument that we can’t ignore the Middle East, nor can we, or should we, occupy it,” Sherman said. “This is a battle for the soul of Islam that will take a generation to play out.”