Perdue says election remarks were sarcasm

RALEIGH, N.D., Sept. 28 (UPI) -- North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue said Wednesday her remarks a day earlier suggesting congressional elections be called off was meant to be sarcastic.

Perdue, a Democrat, had suggested Tuesday during a speech to the Cary Rotary Club that U.S. House elections be suspended to give lawmakers time to focus on the economic recovery.

"My point was one of sarcasm," The (Raleigh) News & Observer quoted Perdue as telling reporters in Thomasville a day later, after her comments raised eyebrows across the nation. "It was taken out of context from my perspective. But honest to goodness, who would think something like that would be said seriously. It's ridiculous to have this kind of discussion about it."

Perdue's staff said earlier her comments had been "hyperbole."

State Republican Party spokesman Rob Lockwood said the tape of Perdue's comments didn't sound like she was joking, The Charlotte Observer reported.

"If it was a joke, what was the set-up? What was the punch-line? Where was the pause for laughter?" Lockwood said. "It took them hours to say it was a 'joke,' but when that flopped, it became 'hyperbole.' We'll just call it an unconstitutionally bad idea."

The part of Perdue's speech that sparked the controversy was when she said: "I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won't hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover. I really hope that someone can agree with me on that. You want people who don't worry about the next election."

The U.S. Constitution mandates the election of members of the U.S. House of Representatives, along with the election of a third of the U.S. Senate, every two years.