Obama promises to make 'mid-course corrections' in policies

"People are frustrated. One of the wonderful things about democracy, when the people are not happy, it is their right, obligation and duty to express their unhappiness," Obama said in a frank assessment of the beating his party received in the November 2 mid-term Congressional polls.

"It requires me to make some mid-course corrections and adjustments," Obama said when asked about the implications of the Congressional poll outcome at a town-hall-style meeting in the courtyard of St Xavier's College here.

The polls saw Republicans seize the House of Representatives and make inroads into the Democratic majority in the Senate.

However, Obama, nearly halfway into his four-year term, pledged to stick to the ideas that would "move America forward" including investing in education, clean energy and infrastructure.

He also vowed to talk to Republicans about changes of course, and hoped there could be areas of agreement, despite signs of sharp division in Washington to slash government spending.