WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama will find his diplomatic clout tested at twin summits on his own turf beginning today. The big global problems are the economic mess in Europe and finding scarce money to boost a postwar Afghanistan – and in both cases the solutions lie mostly overseas.

Still, given a home field advantage in an election year, Obama will try to use it.

By offering solidarity with Europe and reminders that he is steering the Afghan war to a close, Obama will be promoting his re-election interests as well as national ones, underscoring contrasts with Mitt Romney, his rival for the presidency.