Obama to speak after midterm drubbing for Democrats

[WASHINGTON] US President Barack Obama will hold a press conference on Wednesday, one day after his Democratic party was dealt a stinging defeat in midterm elections, the White House said.

At the press conference set for 2:50 pm (1950 GMT), Mr Obama will likely address how he plans to work with Republicans, who on Tuesday seized control of both houses of Congress in a stinging rebuke to the second-term president.

Mr Obama didn't speak on Tuesday, but he invited congressional leaders to the White House on Friday.

Republicans strengthened their majority in the House of Representatives and retook the Senate - meaning they have control of both chambers of Congress for the first time since 2006.

The new legislature takes power in January.

This will put the conservative party in position to shape, if not dictate, the congressional agenda, and their priorities are likely to focus on the economy.

The result will leave Mr Obama struggling to pass reforms in the final stretch of his mandate, and his opponents will be able to thwart his appointments to judicial and official posts.

The party of an incumbent president historically fares badly in elections in his second term, and every president since Ronald Reagan has left office with the opposition controlling Congress.

AFP