Perdue suggests suspending Congressional elections for two years — was she serious?  —  UPDATED: File this in the random-things-politicians-say file.  —  Speaking to a Cary rotary club today, N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue suggested suspending Congressional elections for two years so that Congress …

First on CNN: Florida will likely hold Jan. primary, threatening presidential calendar  —  Washington (CNN) — Florida is now expected to hold its presidential primary on the last day in January 2012, a move likely to throw the carefully arranged Republican nominating calendar into disarray …

Buzz for Christie to seek White House isn't over  —  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is waking up today to some heady press reports, for a GOP politician who says he doesn't want to run for president next year.  — “Sounding like a candidate, Christie's still not running,” reads the headline in The Star-Ledger in Newark.

Obama's top ‘fat cat’ strays  —  JP Morgan honcho Jamie Dimon, once a “fat cat” ally of President Obama, seems to have strayed to Republican contender Mitt Romney.  —  Dimon, a lifelong Democrat who was rumored to be on Obama's short list for treasury secretary before he settled on Tim Geithner …

Solyndra Said to Have Violated Terms of Its U.S. Loan  —  Solyndra LLC had such steep financial problems in late 2010 that the company violated terms of its loan-guarantee agreement with the Department of Energy and technically defaulted on its $535 million loan, according to people familiar with the matter.

Blacks leave Obama  —  Behind the president's whining to the Black Caucus, begging them to “quit grumbling,” is a decline in his personal popularity among African-American voters that could portend catastrophe for his fading reelection chances.  —  According to a Washington Post/ABC News survey …

Obama Jobs Plan May Prevent 2012 Recession  —  President Barack Obama's $447 billion jobs plan would help avoid a return to recession by maintaining growth and pushing down the unemployment rate next year, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.  —  The legislation …

Germany slams ‘stupid’ US plans to boost EU rescue fund  —  Germany and America were on a collision course on Tuesday night over the handling of Europe's debt crisis after Berlin savaged plans to boost the EU rescue fund as a “stupid idea” and told the White House to sort out its own mess before giving gratuitous advice to others.

For David Plouffe, a top Obama adviser, a new strategy and old doubts  —  View Photo Gallery —  President Obama's reelection campaign and DNC together raised $86 million in the second quarter of 2011.  Outside of fundraising, the president is ramping up support for his reelection …

Palin sends more mixed signals  —  Sarah Palin, as often, sent ambivalent signals in her interview on Fox News last night.  —  The clip that everyone is buzzing about last night and this morning as a sign that she's leaning against a run: … I say “ambivalent signals” because …

Euro Crisis  —  Related articles, background features and opinions about this topic.  —  The World from Berlin  —  Obama's Euro-Crisis Lecture Is ‘Pitiful and Sad’  —  Obama slammed the Europeans at an event in Mountain View, California on Monday.  —  US President Obama has given …

O-bummer!  MTV tunes out prez campaign  —  President Obama's re-election campaign wants to connect with young Americans and reached out recently to MTV for help — but the cable network turned them down, sources tell The Post.  —  The president's Get Out the Vote campaign, run by Buffy Wicks …

Reid playing for leverage with jobs bill  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has made it clear that he will not schedule a vote on President Obama's jobs package until after the upper chamber moves a China currency bill that the administration does not support.

A President Who's Well-Liked Falls Well Short On Execution  —  President Obama faces head winds from independents, an important voting bloc for re-election in 2012.  Many of them think well of him personally, but they are disenchanted.  They don't like his policies, and they see him as inexperienced.

Rights Collide as Town Clerk Sidesteps Role in Gay Marriages  —  LEDYARD, N.Y. — Rose Marie Belforti is a 57-year-old cheese maker, the elected town clerk in this sprawling Finger Lakes farming community and a self-described Bible-believing Christian.  She believes that God has condemned homosexuality …

Split opens over Greek bail-out terms  —  By Peter Spiegel in Brussels and Quentin Peel in Berlin  —  A split has opened in the eurozone over the terms of Greece's second €109bn bail-out with as many as seven of the bloc's 17 members arguing for private creditors to swallow a bigger writedown …

EPA delays auto emissions, mileage rule rollout  —  The Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department are delaying the release of proposed regulations establishing the next round of joint greenhouse gas and mileage standards for cars and light trucks.

Megyn Kelly Responds to ‘The View’ Co-Host Joy Behar's Interview With VP Joe Biden on “Boo-ing” in Fox News/Google Debate After Gay Soldier Asks Question  —  On Tuesday's episode of the talk show “The View,” co-host Joy Behar asked guest Vice President Joe Biden about “booing” …

As Scorn for Vote Grows, Protests Surge Around Globe  —  MADRID — Hundreds of thousands of disillusioned Indians cheer a rural activist on a hunger strike.  Israel reels before the largest street demonstrations in its history.  Enraged young people in Spain and Greece take over public squares across their countries.

Cantaloupe Listeria Outbreak Is The Deadliest In A Decade; 16 Dead So Far … WASHINGTON — Health officials say as many as 16 people have died from possible listeria illnesses traced to Colorado cantaloupes, the deadliest food outbreak in more than a decade.

Even Those Cleared of Crimes Can Stay on F.B.I.'s Watch List  —  WASHINGTON — The Federal Bureau of Investigation is permitted to include people on the government's terrorist watch list even if they have been acquitted of terrorism-related offenses or the charges are dropped, according to newly released documents.