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Obama in KS: "We Must Restore the Middle Class"

Dan Verbeck/KCUR

Osawatomie, Kan. - President Obama gave an hour-long address in Osawatomie on Tuesday where he focused on the economy and creating a level playing-field for all Americans. KPR's Stephen Koranda was in the crowd and filed this report.The president called for investments in education, research and infrastructure to attract business and boost the economy. And to pay for that, he called for revamping the tax code so, as he puts it, "everyone pays their fair share."

"And I know that many of our wealthiest citizens would agree to pay a little bit more if it meant reducing the deficit and strengthening the economy that made their success possible," says Obama. "This isn't about class warfare. This is about the nation's welfare."

This speech purposefully echoed the speech from 1910 here in Osawatomie where Teddy Roosevelt called for allowing everyone a chance to succeed.

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