MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Obama admits voters’ frustration sends conciliatory message to Republicans

The US president felt the full impact of the loss of Congress

President Barack Obama said he believes US voters are feeling frustrated with the pace of economic recovery, after mid-term poll losses. The Republicans captured 60 seats to take control of the House of Representatives. The Democrats clung on to the Senate despite losing seats.

Republican leaders have already vowed to reverse Mr Obama's healthcare reforms and to cut spending. Mr Obama pledged to find common ground with the Republicans on key issues.

No one party was now in control, he said, so it was important for Republicans and Democrats to work together to focus on jobs, security and the future, in line with the voters' message.

I'm not suggesting this will be easy,“ Mr Obama said. ”I won't pretend that we'll be able to bridge every difference or solve every disagreement. What is absolutely true is that without any Republican support on anything it's going to be hard to get things done.“

Mr Obama said he believed progress had been made but more remained to be done.

”Over the last two years we've made progress, but clearly too many people haven't felt that progress yet and they told us that clearly yesterday. As president, I take responsibility for that,“ he said.

Earlier the Republicans' John Boehner, set to become the next speaker of the House of Representatives, pledged to repeal Mr Obama's healthcare reform ”monstrosity“.

”I believe the healthcare bill will kill jobs, ruin the best healthcare system in the world and bankrupt our country,“ Mr Boehner said. Mr Obama said he would listen to suggestions on the reforms.

”If the Republicans have ideas for how to improve our healthcare system, if they want to suggest modifications that would deliver faster and more effective reform to a healthcare system that has been wildly expensive, I'm happy to consider some of those ideas,” he said.

Up for election were all 435 seats in the House (the lower chamber of Congress), 37 of the 100 seats in the Senate, governorships of 37 of the 50 states and all but four state legislatures.