President Obama has kicked off a series of heavily promoted speeches about the economy and his plan to rejuvenate the American middle class. Speaking in Illinois, Obama said the nation’s economic recovery has been too skewed toward the top 1 percent.

President Obama: “Even though our businesses are creating new jobs and have broken record profits, nearly all the income gains of the past 10 years have continued to flow to the top 1 percent. The average CEO has gotten a raise of nearly 40 percent since 2009. The average American earns less than he or she did in 1999. … It undermines the very essence of America — that idea that if you work hard, you can make it here. And that’s why reversing these trends has to be Washington’s highest priority.”