Obama blames economy for Democratic "shellacking"

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama on Wednesday blamed the anemic economy for the "shellacking" his fellow Democrats experienced in this week's midterm elections but acknowledged his policies hadn't done enough to boost jobs.

Obama said his administration has "stabilized" the economy and spurred private-sector hiring, "But people all across America aren't feeling that progress." That led to the "shellacking" Democrats received at the polls on Tuesday, he said.

"I think I've got to take direct responsibility for the fact that we have not made as much progress as we need to make," Obama said.

He added, "If right now we had 5 percent unemployment instead of 9.6 percent unemployment, then people would have more confidence in those policy choices."

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The president faced reporters a day after voters replaced at least 60 Democrats in the House of Representatives, handing control of the chamber to the Republicans for the first time since 2006, according to CNN projections. In the Senate, Democrats lost at least six seats but are expected to retain control of the chamber.

Obama said he's looking at "all ideas that are on the table" to boost economic growth after the deepest recession since the 1930s, and won't dismiss any proposal "because they're Democrat or Republican." But he added that it would be a "misreading" of the election results if anyone believed the American people want to spend the next two years trying to "relitigate" his administration's overhaul of health care or other major legislation of his first two years in office.

Republicans throughout the campaign blasted Obama's signature health care overhaul, the Affordable Care Act, after voting all but unanimously against it in Congress. Obama called the process of passing the bill "an ugly mess" and "something that I regret," but added, "The outcome was a good one."

Obama's called Ohio Rep. John Boehner, the incoming speaker, at midnight Tuesday to congratulate him on the GOP takeover of the House of Representatives. The president told both Boehner and Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell that he wants to work with them to "find common ground, move the country forward and get things done for the American people," the White House said.

Republicans are coming into office on pledges to dismantle the health-care overhaul, which Boehner warned would bring about "Armageddon" -- but Boehner and Obama held what the incoming speaker called a "brief but pleasant conversation" overnight.

Aides to Obama said he also placed calls to the current speaker, Nancy Pelosi of California, and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer from Maryland, who have been knocked out of the majority and now face uncertain futures within the Democratic leadership.