We can understand House Speaker John Boehner’s hangdog, disinterested look as he sat behind President Barack Obama during the State of the Union address Tuesday night. He’s been in this situation before, listening to the president’s glowing words and inspiring phrases, and knowing that all the talk will amount to little or nothing in the year ahead.

The president talks about listening to Republicans, working with them on important issues and finding common ground. But when it is time for action his bonhomie disappears. He does expect Republicans to do as he bids, and when they don’t he issues criticisms and veto threats, and takes unilateral executive actions to override the legislative process.

Obama is well aware that Republicans are not going to rush to pass his proposed tax hikes on the wealthy in order to fund his tax benefits for the middle class. His legislative proposals will falter in a Republican-controlled Congress.

Talk is cheap, as the the old saying goes. It will be interesting to see how hard the president works in his last two years in office to get along with the Republican Congress and how much of his ambitious middle class agenda he can accomplish.

We suspect Boehner’s expression during the State of the Union Address contains the answer.