US President Barack Obama has admitted that he failed to change the bitter political atmosphere in Washington, which, he said, “feels as broken as it did four years ago"

US President Barack Obama has admitted that he failed to change the bitter political atmosphere in Washington, which, he said, “feels as broken as it did four years ago."

"If you asked me what is the one thing that has frustrated me most over the last four years, it's not the hard work, it's not the enormity of the decisions, it's not the pace, it is that I haven't been able to change the atmosphere here in Washington to reflect the decency and common sense of ordinary people - Democrats, Republicans, and independents - who I think just want to see their leadership solve problems," Obama said in a taped interview with the CBS television, which was aired on Sunday.

He, however, promised that he will continue to focus on repairing the country’s ailing economy and strengthening the middle class if he is elected for another term in office.

"The most important issue we face as a country is how do we build an economy where the middle-class is strong and growing, and those who are willing to work hard can fight their way into the middle-class," he said.

On Thursday, Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney criticized Obama for his failure to turn the economy around and for saying that he should have done more to tell the American people a story that "gives them a sense of unity and purpose and optimism."

"Being president is not about telling stories. Being president is about leading, and President Obama has failed to lead," Romney tweeted.