Barack Obama: 'It's time to put country first'

President Barack Obama has set off on a bus tour of mid western states to try to regain the political initiative after weeks of bad economic news and repeated attacks by Republican opponents.

He is visiting Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa, to spur on his supporters in three states he took in the last presidential election.

Speaking in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, Mr Obama said politicians needed to set aside their differences to help get the US economy get back on track.