O-blah-blah on Dem Losses: "It Feels Bad"

A noticeably somber President Obama acknowledged that his party took a "shellacking" at the polls Tuesday night, telling a White House news conference that he takes "direct responsibility" for the frustration voters feel, particularly on the economy.

Yet Obama repeatedly refused to say that historic GOP gains across the country were a widespread rejection of the policies his administration has pursued. Instead, the president argued that voters were more angry at the lack of progress in crafting effective policies, and the perception that business as usual in Washington wasn't changing. "We were in such a hurry to get things done that we didn't change how things got done," the president said, promising to "work harder" to build consensus with Republicans.

The election, Obama said, "underscores for me that I have to do a better job."

Obama's message wasn't so different from George W. Bush's in 2006, when the then-president went before reporters after Democrats took control of Congress and admitted his party had suffered a "thumpin'." Like Bush, Obama echoed the opposing party's call for "greater civility" and pledged to work together....More