"My Administration is the only thing between you and the pitchforks."—March 27, 2009
President Obama channeled the anger of many Americans when he called a cadre of Wall Street CEOs to Washington to question their large salaries and high-flying executive lifestyles. "The anger, gentlemen, is real," Obama said to the group, which included then Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon. The executives defended the inflated salaries, saying they were required to compete for talent on an international level. To which the President replied, "Be careful how you make those statements, gentlemen. The public isn't buying that."