Obama attempts to chart new course

US President Barack Obama yesterday sought to move past the political thumping in congressional elections as he called together Democrat and Republican leaders later this month, hoping to set a new course.

The fresh bid for bipartisanship, however, drew a sharp response from the Republican leader in the Senate who said the party wanted to make sure Obama only served one term.

Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell took to the podium at the conservative Heritage Foundation to emphasise again that Republicans were determined to defeat Obama in the 2012 election.