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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

Despite Negativity, Americans Mixed on Ideal Role of Gov't  —  At the same time, the majority tend to see government reaching too far  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Americans have divided opinions when asked to think broadly about the purpose of government.  About as many Americans (35%) …

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 …

Romney-Perry See-Saw Among Ohio Republicans, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Both Running Neck And Neck With Obama  —  Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is top dog in the Ohio Republican presidential pack with 24 percent of GOP voters, while Texas Gov. Rick Perry is nipping at his heels with 20 percent …

Defiant Team Perry's plan: Hit harder  —  Rick Perry's widely panned debate performances?  Just a hiccup.  Any major changes in debate prep?  None planned.  His unexpected and deflating Florida straw poll loss last weekend?  Not a big deal.  —  Even as some of his supporters grow anxious …

A Tea Party Invitation to Morgan Freeman  —  My name is Ali Akbar.  I'm a 26 year-old African-American small business owner and a tea party activist.  I'm not writing to rake you over the coals in the way that many conservatives have done in the last 48 hours.

Why Establishment Media & the Power Elite Loathe Occupy Wall Street  —  Straw Poll on Direct Action (photo: Collin David Anderson)  —  Over the past ten days, hundreds of people have occupied Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan in New York as part of Occupy Wall Street.

Amazon Unveils $199 Kindle Fire Tablet, Targeting IPad  —  Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), the world's largest online retailer, unveiled its Kindle Fire tablet computer, taking aim at Apple Inc. (AAPL)'s bestselling iPad with a device that's smaller and less than half the price.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

Two Cheers for Luddism  —  An interesting discussion in the comment thread to Erik's post on the welcome decline of robocheckers below.  There's been some mild pushback against the notion of resisting robocheckers out of solidarity with the actual paycheck-drawing, rent-paying, family-feeding workers.

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 …

TPM2012  —  Bachmann's Newest Conspiracy Theory: Hezbollah Could Build Missile Sites In Cuba!  —  Michele Bachmann has her eye on a new front in the War on Terror: Havana.  —  At an event in Iowa on Monday, the poll-plummeting candidate warned of a new potential Cuban missile crisis — involving Hezbollah.

Informant helped smuggle guns to Mexico, investigators say  —  The FBI/DEA informant helped get the guns from the Fast and Furious operation over the border, congressional investigators say.  —  Reporting from Washington— An FBI/DEA confidential informant helped smuggle firearms …