Washington ( CNN ) -- Republicans wrested control of the House from President Barack Obama and the Democrats this week , and their next goal is to take the White House , their leader in the Senate said Thursday . If the Republicans want to achieve their goals of repealing health care reform , ending bailouts , cutting spending and reducing the size of government , `` the only way to do all these things it is to put someone in the White House who wo n't veto any of these things , '' Sen. Mitch McConnell , R-Kentucky , said in a speech at the conservative Heritage Foundation . McConnell made clear that his party sees little room for compromise with Obama and the Democrats , saying voters were calling for a change in direction , rather than a middle ground . `` We can hope the president will start listening to the electorate after Tuesday 's election . But we ca n't plan on it , '' said McConnell , who was recently quoted as saying his goal is to ensure that Obama will be a one-term president . `` I do n't want the president to fail . I want him to change . '' In an interview with CNN later Thursday , McConnell reiterated that it is Obama who has to shift direction , saying : `` If the president will simply listen to the American people , we can do some business . '' The Republicans failed to capture control of the Senate this week , leaving McConnell the minority leader , but they 're riding high on a gain of at least six seats there and 10 times that many in the House . `` For the past two years , Democrat lawmakers chose to ignore the American people , so on Tuesday the American people chose new lawmakers , '' McConnell said . `` The White House has a choice : They can change course or they can double down on a vision of government that the American people have roundly rejected , '' he said . In response , White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Thursday that voters wanted politicians in Washington to work together to solve the nation 's problems , not continue taking intractable positions to score political points . `` You 're certainly not going to make progress in a divided government saying 'my way or the highway , ' '' Gibbs said , noting that Obama has called McConnell and other congressional leaders to a November 18 meeting to discuss legislative priorities . Consensus on issues `` is not going to be 100 percent of what anybody wants , '' Gibbs added . In his speech , McConnell conceded that the elections were not about the Republicans . `` They were about the Democrats . They got a report card . They got an F , '' he said . `` Americans voted for change in the last two elections because of two long and difficult wars and because they hoped a changing of the guard would stabilize the economy and get America moving again , '' McConnell added . But , he said , `` Democrat leaders used the crisis of the moment to advance an agenda Americans did n't ask for and could n't afford . '' In particular , McConnell lambasted the health care reform bill passed by Democrats after a bitter legislative fight that lasted more than a year . `` Health care legislation is the worst bill that was passed in my time in the Senate , '' said McConnell , who was elected in 1984 . He called the Wall Street reform bill intended to bring transparency and consumer protections to the financial services industry almost as bad . McConnell has promised a non-stop effort to repeal the health care bill , in an apparent strategy to force Democrats to record votes in favor of the measure that can be cited in the 2012 election campaign . With Democrats still controlling the Senate , the chances of a repeal making it through Congress are considered highly unlikely . Even if that happened , Obama 's veto power adds another formidable barrier against a repeal measure succeeding . Gibbs said he doubted that Obama would have to veto a repeal effort , saying : `` I honestly do n't think it will come to that . '' He noted that exit polling showed half the voters Tuesday supported the health care bill , and that most people who cited the measure as an important issue supported the Democratic Party . CNN 's Richard Allen Greene and Tom Cohen contributed to this story .
NEW : McConnell tells CNN that election results show President Obama must change . White House spokesman says compromise does n't mean everyone gets all they want . The elections were a report card , and Democrats `` got an F , '' Mitch McConnell says . Republicans made big gains in both the House and Senate in elections this week .