WASHINGTON: Barack Obama mounted an impassioned defence of his crisis-haunted first year as president yesterday, but admitted to facing personal doubts over the “painfully slow” pace of the change he has promised.

But the US leader pleaded with Americans not to lose faith in his ambitious drive for reform, in a rare rebuttal of criticisms that he has fallen short of expectations and that his leadership is too cool and detached.

Obama said that after his inauguration on January 20, 2009, some observers had proclaimed a new era of bipartisan politics and racial harmony — but those lofty hopes had dissolved in Washington’s political tumult. “As we meet here today, one year later, we know the promise of that moment has not yet been fully fulfilled,” he said, in a speech in a historic Baptist church in Washington DC. Obama flashed with impatience as he rebuked critics who say his top priority health care reform drive is a pale imitation of the meaningful change he promised, arguing he was in a daily battle for step-by-step progress.

“Sometimes, I get a little frustrated when folks just don’t want to see that even if we don’t get everything, we’re getting something,” he said.

During a brutal first year in the White House, Obama has rarely recreated the passion of his euphoric 2008 campaign, but emerged as a calm, disciplined and sometimes reserved figure dealing with America’s severe problems.

But yesterday, he turned up the rhetorical heat, in apparent answer to critics who say he has lost his connection with average voters.

“You know, folks ask me sometimes why I look so calm,” Obama told worshippers.

“I have a confession to make. There are times when I’m not so calm ... there are times when progress seems too slow. There are times when the words that are spoken about me hurt. There are times when the barbs sting. “There are times when it feels like all these efforts are for naught,” he added.