Obama says US voters ‘frustrated’
58 viewsBy jazbablog - Thu Nov 04, 6:04 pm
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama says 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. 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 wildy expensive, I’m happy to consider some of those ideas,” he said.
The election result is a stinging setback for the president, who was elected only two years ago with so much hope and so much exuberance, says the BBC’s North America editor Mark Mardell.Mr Obama said the election outcome had demonstrated where power in the US truly lay.”Some election nights are more fun than others. Some are exhilarating, some are humbling, but every election, no matter who wins or who loses, is a reminder that power rests not in those who are elected to office but in those we choose to serve,” Mr Obama said.
