Maybe Sarah Palin Really Does Shop For Groceries

Sarah Palin gets in a sniping match with the WSJ, and it is not clear who is right.

Ms. Palin criticized the Fed's QE2 for risking inflation, offering a down-home example of rising food prices as an example.

The WSJ sniffed that food prices haven't moved much in the past year.

Ms. Palin nearly borrowed from James Taranto with "It's two papers in one", but instead took to Facebook to note that the WSJ itself had recently run a story about rising food prices.

And the WSJ dug in, explaining that their story was looking forward, not back.

Who's right?  We make these tough calls every day!  The answer seems to be, both.  But the WSJ is righter (and when you are righter than Sarah Palin, that is right indeed.)

Ms. Palin was illustrating a point about the national economy with this:

“everyone who ever goes out shopping for groceries knows that prices have risen significantly over the past year or so. Pump priming would push them even higher.”

The WSJ correctly notes that over the past year the CPI for food prices has increased only modestly.  Nationally, natch.

But the WSJ does not look at the quarterly report for food prices in Alaska as prepared by the University of Alaska (Fairbanks) Cooperative Extension (described on page 6 of 8 by the Alaska BLS).

And what do we discern?  From June 2009 to June 2010 food prices in Wasilla jumped by 11.7%.  Yike!  That was the largest increase in Alaska, per our quick eyeoballometric scan, and well above the state average.

Well, then - Ms. Palin, like the rest of us, probably wants to be cautious about drawing broad conclusions from personal experience.  However, it certainly apears that she is out chatting with her neighbors about rising food costs.

Comments

[matt]

as I recall, grain prices have been rising to record levels. Porch or Mel can probably confirm this.

I don't know if these costs have shown up in the price of bread or beef yet, but I know that the pressure is building.

Here in CA it's la la land anyway, so I don't think it's an apple and organges comparison with the rest of the country. Nor is Alaska for that matter. Expensive place to live up there but for the price of salmon, halibut, moose and elk.

[Dianne]

I know that moving from North Carolina to New York State - the difference in food prices was a huge culture shock.

[MRE's worth their weight in Gold]

Something's fishy about this. Palin could be right, for once.

Gasoline and Food prices are not measured for inflation. In addition, it has been rumored that many Processed food Co's have been holding down price increases despite internal pressures, because of competitive fear.

(See 'Bilderberg Group')

[Extraneus]

McConnell quietly campaigning against DeMint’s earmark ban

[Rob Crawford]

From a source I cannot divulge, retailers are looking at meat prices to go up in the last quarter, and produce to slip a little.

[NVA Patriot]

The issue is more than prices regarding inflation - it's also portion size. Without dumping tons of detail, my wife cooks well & she has her recipies sized to the packaging and portions in stores. As packaging changes and causes corresponding portion size changes - we feel it immediately.

Prices are going up andf retailers try to mask it by reducing packaging and portion sizes.

Palin is right & every mother who shops for her family knows it - the WSJ be darned....

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Anyone who thinks a reporter, even one at the WSJ, is more knowledgeable about rising food prices than a woman who has to feed 8 people every day is just stupid.

I don't do much grocery shopping anymore due to my back, but both my son and d-i-l have mentioned how much more expensive shopping has become. We don't waste our money buying the so-called organic/natural foods either. And even though there are only 3 of us, we buy as much as we can in bulk, especially staples like flour, sugar, and powdered milk. We try to save with the store brands as well and we save coupons and use them as much as possible, while watching the various sales at places like Walmart, where the in-store deals are usually the best.

[Pofarmer]

Whar nva patriot said. The price may not be going up, but package sizes are being reduced.

[MRE's worth their weight in Gold]

Is Goldman Sachs a petrie dish for budding
Illuminati?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/19/business/19gold.html?_r=1

[Pofarmer]

Also, why is everyone so concerned with fact checking Palin. It's not as if Pelosi and co haven't told some real far out whopperes.

[BobDenver]

They talk about her like a dog.

[Fun, fun, fun when your Daddy takes the T-Bird away !]

, "with DeMint wanting to signal to Republican voters that the new GOP is serious about spending and McConnell fretting that if they don’t keep the pork coming, voters will hold it against them in 2012."

Ah, the politics of governing. It's a real quandary !

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Pofarmer: Because common sense scares the beejeebus out of them. Left and right in it for power see her as a threat to their power base, as well they should. Some of the right side blogs are the worst offenders.

[Mandala Marshmallow]

"They talk about her like a dog."

I think the correct term is 'bitch'.

[pagar]

"Also, why is everyone so concerned with fact checking Palin."

They keep hoping to find something she is wrong about.

[narciso]

This is how the piece begins, you judge what he meant, the line 'do you understand
the words that (are coming out of my keyboard)" comes to mind

An inflationary tide is beginning to ripple through America's supermarkets and restaurants, threatening to end the tamest year of food pricing in nearly two decades.

View Full Image
FOODPRICE
FOODPRICE
FOODPRICE

Prices of staples including milk, beef, coffee, cocoa and sugar have risen sharply in recent months. And food makers and retailers including McDonald's Corp., Kellogg Co. and Kroger Co. have begun to signal that they'll try to make consumers shoulder more of the higher costs for ingredients.

[Rick Ballard]

"However, it certainly appears that she is out chatting with her neighbors about rising food costs."

As opposed to Bernanke, who splits his time between communing with the shades of Keynes and Galbraith and swearing at a stupid reality which, quite unexpectedly, refuses to conform to the output of the wondrous models concocted by the most highly credentialed experts ever employed at the Fed.

[memomachine]

Hmmmm.

"Prices are going up andf retailers try to mask it by reducing packaging and portion sizes."

Agreed. A simple indicator is coffee. Bags of ground coffee used be sold $4.50/16oz. Now they're being sold $4.50/12oz ... or even smaller.

I used coffee as an example because it's traded internationally, isn't produced domestically in the lower 48 states, is traded on the futures market, is subject to currency valuations and is absolutely necessary to my continued functioning.

[Chris]

Take a look at commodity prices, like soy beans, for example. Uh...ya, rising pretty dramatically WSJ.

[bgates]

I think the Journal can't help but be right, since it's taken the sensible precaution of arguing both sides of the debate. The rebuttal to Palin says,
The Nov. 4 Wall Street Journal article noted, in its first sentence, “the tamest year of food pricing in nearly two decades.”

The reason that quote starts with a lowercase letter is that it doesn't include the start of the first sentence, which is,
An inflationary tide is beginning to ripple through America's supermarkets and restaurants, threatening to end that tamest year.

The rebuttal also notes,
some items in the shopping cart have risen in price (ground chuck beef is up 4.8%) and others have decreased (bananas are down 5.3%)

Oddly, neither of these numbers appear in the earlier article. Instead, that piece features a graphic listing four price changes:
Boneless USDA Choice Chuck roast, +13%
Fresh fortified whole milk, +10%
White sugar, +9%
Large Grade A eggs, +7%

Each of those numbers represent what economists refer to as an "increase".

The central thrust of the WSJ's argument is that Palin was wrong to think the WSJ is a reliable source of economic information. They've convinced me.

[narciso]

Some good news in the LUN, for a change, not about prices, as Bender would say "we're boned"

[bgates]

Incidentally, this is exactly why I'm not on Facebook. Sarah Palin is just about the only person I know who is on it, and it seems like everything she writes on there gets people sniping at her.

[DebinNC]

Unlike some here, I like Hugh Hewitt..especially transcripts of the interesting guests he has on his show. It looks like Sarah Palin has responded to Spencer Bachus's ill-advised comments blaming her for the Senate loss and and it may cost him a chairmanship.

[narciso]

I used to listen to his Steyn, Lileks interviews and movie reviews, back when it was on this scratchy radio station, that became a Christian, non news outlet

[Jenny]

Food prices have been rising, and for more than one year. I've watched the price of cereal, bread, milk, meat and poultry and produce continue to increase. I've also noticed stores carrying less, they've pared down the lines they run. The cost of generic food items have increased as well. A loaf of sandwich bread, costs between 3 and 4 dollars, and you don't see as many sales on it, or cereal. I can say that the cost per pound for various staple produce items have risen between 60 cents to a dollar per pound.

The WSJ needs to get off the fence, stop looking to provide cover for those who will ultimately destroy our economy.. and if they, for some sick reason, think they can survive this themselves, they are delusional. They need to crack open a history book or two.

[Rick Ballard]

"Bags of ground coffee used be sold $4.50/16oz. Now they're being sold $4.50/12oz ... or even smaller."

After making the hedonic adjustment to compensate for the pleasure derived in carrying a less burdensome package, it's obvious that the "real" price of coffee, as determined by econometricians at the BLS has actually dropped. Only untrained simpletons make comparisons without determining the level of adjustment necessary to achieve a desired result.

[DebinNC]

Narciso, I don't usually listen to Hewitt on the radio unless I notice Mark Steyn will be on, but the transcripts are worthwhile, especially today's featuring 4 Republicans vying to be new House committee heads who are trying to out-conservative each other.

[jazz and cocktails]

i've certainly seen the price of a good bottle of wine go up, here deep in the heart of the UWS.

[Annie Oakley]

Every housewife knows that prices have risen (or that the sizes of the products have decreased) over the past year and a half. Since even Meg Whitman shops at Safeway (daughter has seen her there), I have no doubt that Palin shops for food for her family.

[mikey]

OMG watching Eric Bolling interview Alan Grayson and a newly defeated dem mayor from Michigan should have been on pay per view

[Captain Hate]

I'm glad that Sarah's getting support in her pushback against Bachus's witless remarks. The sooner the circular firing squad in the Repub party gets disarmed, the better. If she can clean up the Republican party of all the nested quislings, running the country should be child's play.

[caro]

Love ya, Captain H but I am with Deb.And I grew up in Pittsburgh! I get a lot of info from HH and his guests and interviews.He is among the few that have Mark Steyn back now.He had Shimkus and Upton last night and was pretty much upset that he didn't know about the incandescent bulb before the interview. He will follow up I am sure.

[Captain Hate]

That's fine, caro; it's strictly a subjective thing with me re: HH and I don't think anything negative about anybody's taste that likes him. I hope I don't come off like too much of a jerk in blasting him; although a pretty good online friend tells me that if I'm not offending anybody I'm playing it too safe::shrug::

[Melinda Romanoff]

Rick-

Have you ever seen a chart of a commodity, when the exchange ups minimum margin?

Have you ever seen a chart of all commodities when the largest single position in all commodities is being held by thinly financed hedge funds solely on the long side, and the margin requirements of just one is hiked?

Do you know what the charts of all commodities, traded in US dollars, look like when those two questions come into confluence?

They look like this baby.

[DebinNC]

Just read Upton's interview at HH's, and in print he sounded like he was trying way too hard. No mention of his support of the incandescent bulb ban which for me nixes his bid. I hope and pray some very wise people are working with Boehner on these decisions.

[NICK]

Government statistics are lies!

I used to respect the Wall Street Journal.

[narciso]

"Where is Beeks" is a question that comes to mind, when you see that chart

[jorod]

The Journal keeps raising prices and more and more of their content is by subscription only. They ignore their own practices. Government isn't the only thing nickel and dime-ing people to death.

[Jane]

BTW Bush is on Hannity in about 1 minute

[rrpjr]

Talk about straining with a gnat and swallowing a camel. THIS merits a fact-check? When was the last time one of Obama's speeches was fact-checked. I think Victor David Hanson found 12 outright historical lies in Obama's speech in Egypt last year. I don't remember the WSJ on that case, or any subsequently. By the way, I know prices are going up where I live. I see it every day.

[Rick Ballard]

Mel,

There were two items of particular interest in Bullard's flip chart presentation. The first was his statement that the market effects of QE2 were already realized prior to the FOMC action (buy on the cannon, sell on the trumpets). The second was that the Fed needed to do more studies regarding the labor market's failure to react (as modeled) for what is now the third recession in a row.

I found those items to be real confidence builders. It shouldn't take the Fed more than two or three years to complete the studies, a couple more to develop new models and then they can really take some action to try and increase employment.

I think we're going to see another extension on the extension of extended unemployment benefits. That's the only way those smaller portions at higher prices are gonna get off the shelves.

[Janet the tea-vangelist!]

Cleaning up bookmarks, & this seems truer than ever - The Man From SCREW
adapted by PeterUK

[Boatbuilder]

The Journal's editorial page is reliably and unabashedly conservative. The rest of the paper not so much. It's way better than everything else out there, however, even though their "Weekend" and "Personal Journal" sections seem to be attempting to corner the market (formerly owned by the NYT and The New Yorker) on pretentious, silly, expensive and ostentatious ways to demonstrate how to be socially cool.

[Stephanie]

In addition to the increase in prices on staple goods and the decrease in package sizes, some stores (Kroger) have gone to lesser quality of food. For example, their standard beef in the meat aisle is now select and the "Angus" cuts are the only choice cuts and they are not great quality IMHO. Prime is not even available. I go to a meat market for anything other than ground beef and chicken breasts.

As to the price rises, it is occurring across the board. And don't get me started on the price for dishwasher detergent which has gone from $2.99 to almost $5.49 at WALMART of all places.

I have an eidetic memory for numbers, and the price rises I've seen lately are increasing in frequency and percentage.

[bgates]

the market effects of QE2 were already realized prior to the FOMC action

Do you buy that?

[narciso]

Oh, it's ridiculous how expensive everything has gotten, which Reddy seemed to point out, meanwhile they just pump another stimulus worth of cash, the 'pig in the python' in one day

[DebinNC]

Why are prices going up? Is it time to buy nonperishables in bulk, i.e. by the case/s.

[Rick Ballard]

bgates,

Sure, I believe that the stock and commodity markets have been reacting to the probability of QE2 for a few months. There has been some improvement in bottom line performance but not enough to justify the run up and true demand for most commodities isn't exactly streaking upward.

The labor market has been fascinating - I believe the claims numbers are now being driven by employers just doing continuous weeding in order to absolutely maximize efficiency. Workers who exhibit a laid back attitude are being laid off rather quickly. Why not, when there are five people available to fill any slot that opens.

[James A. Donald]

I am encountering more and more official statistics that are either internally inconsistent (fail to add up with other official statistics) or contradict personal experience and casual observation.

It looks to me that inflation has recently risen to about ten percent per quarter and is accelerating.

[bgates]

I believe that the stock and commodity markets have been reacting

That I can believe. Do you think QE2 has already had all the effect it's going to, though? "were already realized" sounds like it's finished.

[Carol Herman]

Posted this on the wrong link.

Actually, Sarah Palin can shoot her food. And, also catch it at the end of a line.

What DC doesn't want is Sarah Palin's voice to get heard. But look at all the stuff that's messing around, now? Did you know Kirk won Obama's old seat, and should have been seated on 11/3? Wasn't.

While Nancy Pelosi is not afraid to hold a victory party. Where, I am sure Boehner will show up for the free drinks. And, he'll cry a lot.

DC is still a swamp.

[narciso]

They stuffed another 800 billion in one day, that's going to take time to clear, on another Journal piece they rejoice that U 6
is only 17%,

[Carol Herman]

The Wall Street Journal couldn't find a ponzi scheme in broad daylight! While for a decade, they were getting all the information done for them by Harry Markopolis, Bill Ackman, and David Einhorn ... where you can find this stuff detailed, now. Non-fiction! If it were fiction, no one would believe it!

While the GOP dances around, with their decorators, to make sure their new offices will look swell ... the likes of real creeps are heading into committee chairs. Why do they apply for them? Who is gonna stop it?

Sarah Palin has been our Paul Revere. The fight continues.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Rick-

I don't believe QE2 was ever intended to produce a change in employment. It was all about trying to get the FRBNY client list back towards the black, which, because of their problems elsewhere in the marketplace, will never happen.

And the chart I put up, when combined with the Commitments of Traders Report, shows that the "Swaps" long positions (Hedge Funds), are now less than the Producer/Merchant (Old Pros) shorts, in CBOT Wheat. This market is well on its way to rolling over and prices are set to plunge, just like the fall of '07.

The margin change is the game changer by the exchanges and will take out the weak hedge fund long positions. I would expect a collapse of prices as they all try to hit the door at once.

This is one of those days in the commodities that all the traders on the floor just relish coming in the next day, just to see whose shirt's gong to get ripped off, and make a killing in the process. Tomorrow is going to be fun!

[Ann]

BreakingNews Breaking News

Alaska Senate race: GOP nominee Miller sues in fed court to enforce exact spellings for write-ins to count
Miller sues to force exact spelling rule for write-in votes

And here is narciso's good news link: Alaska Senate Absentee Ballot Count Open Thread (Update)

[Jim Ryan]

Just got back from St. Louis, unfortunately without the time to meet Mr. Pofarmer.

You can't imagine the twee rage expressed in letters to the editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch this weekend. Only St. Louis and KC are blue now, and they are indignant about the see of Missouri red. The assortment of letters to the editor is supposed to represent the all of the letters the editor receives, and if so, St. Louis is libville. Nice city, though. The Arch is a treasure.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Oh, and every single commodity I watch looks nearly the same.

[matt]

Mel;

how does inflation in commodity prices figure into your equation? It would seem that a number of them such as cotton, soy, and wheat are at or going to record highs. Metals and oil as well.

What happens when the liquidity squeeze hits the banks and that money disappears from the table?

What options do the Germans and Chinese have at present? I'm trying to get a holistic picture and damn, my crystal ball is cloudy.

[Jim Ryan]

trying to get the FRBNY client list back towards the black

Mel, that's what I took you to mean to be like fraud a few days ago. Do you mean QE2 is intended to put perfume on zombies rather than to do anything else? Thanks for explaining.

My 95-y-o clarinetist was an accountant. Last week I said, "But Dave, there's no inflation yet." He said, "Of course there's inflation. I go to buy an item now ant it's 10.7 ounces instead of 14 ounces, same price."

[astonerii]

Hamburger 1.25/lb now 1.98/lb
Hot Dogs 16 oz package replaced with 12 oz for same price.
Soups from 1.28 to 1.65 for same brand/size.
Eye of Round 2.79/lb now 3.89/lb.
Cheese prices from 4.99/lb to 6.49/lb.

Prices have been going up and they will only go up more due to the Feds monetizing of the debt. More dollars with no increase in supplies means the price of things will rise, it is a simple fact that will never change.

[daddy]

Interesting:

State Law says that Candidates must be notified 24 hours prior to the start of the count of Write In Candidates for Senate.

I happen to know a Write in Candidate for Senate. In fact I are One:)

Nobody from the Election board has notified me of their intention to start the count tomorrow.

Any Lawyer's interested in suing Alaska? I'll send you a Mooses' Tooth T-Shirt.

[RichatUF]

This market is well on its way to rolling over and prices are set to plunge, just like the fall of '07. 2008?

So the Fed, in wanting to "do something", flooded the market with cheap debt and with equities, bonds, and real estate dangerous for various reasons, the preferred asset class becomes commodities. To fill demand for this preferred asset class new products are formed and sold (ETF's). Hummm...I thought that price stability was a Fed mandate and didn't we just see what happens when a cheap debt binge fuels a spectulative frenzy?

Noticed today that inventories were up and sales were down and that the "capitalists" in China have had their state run debt rating agency downgrade US debt, using language that has become standard currency in Washington DC (and if I were more energitic I'm sure I could find a transcript of an Obama speech where he has said something similiar). The G20 should be interesting.

[Ann]

For those interested, Mark Levin interviewed Alaska's Lt. Governor Craig Campbell last night and I have to believe it persuaded Miller to sue today.

The podcast is audio rewind 11/8 and the interview starts at 17:21.
www.marklevinshow.com

[Pofarmer]

"St. Louis is libville.".

Yep, sad really. About 5 counties can turn the tide of an election in the state.

[Melinda Romanoff]

matt-

Here's the way I look at the trade:

It's like a see-saw. As the dollar goes down in realtion to other currencies, as predicted by QE2, all commodities priced in dollars must go up, to maintain balance, outside of other issues, given the new valuation of the dollar versus their respective currencies.

The hedge funds have anticipated the Fed's QE2 and went long(bought) commodities as the natural, fastest acting trade against the falling dollar.

However, farmers and commodity processors have seen this play out time and time again.

Step back and note that all the commodities you list, trade in dollars. So, all the price moves are dependent upon dollar fluctuations.

Almost all commodities corrected today, in some form, just because One exchange altered the minimum margin rate for just One commodity. Silver.

If most "hot" commodities adjusted lower, and they did, the depth of the bid isn't that committed to buying more of these.

The lack of liquidity is being shown in the lack of new loans being written by the money center banks, the last loans to be pulled will be from hedge funds and trading operations.

And prices will collapse, again, and is why the Chinese are buying up all the loose commodities around the world, before the loss of transport.

And the Germans are "effed" so long as they push off dealing with the rest of the PIIGS.

Who's buying all the problem debt of the PIIGS, while bitching about QE by the Fed?

All the ECB.

The price check on US real estate, I think, exposed by the shady foreclosure issues, is the real drain on US Banks, and will be for years to come.

I'll explain more, as time permits, over the next few days.

While trades in commodities become very hard to defend for big funds.

[narciso]

Ditto, i'm in one of the three counties that actually voted for Sink, in large numbers, now the tact they are taking, is Scott is sincere, but he's going to have problems with the legislature; well I never had much use for them anyways. They rarely did anything they promised, like reduce Property rates, and they often did things we didn't want them to do

[Pofarmer]

Mel, you are harshing my mellow, and plans for that new combine.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Po-

I told you I was going to dig into the numbers, and I did.

I'd tighten up the timeframe on locking up pricing, if I were you. Taking a bit more off the table than what you were talking about earlier today.

Oh, and satellite radio instead of the new combine.

[Ann]

daddy:

There you are! Do you feel any better about Miller?

It really is to bad you don't live in Florida because they have a new agile AG that would help you.

Look what Pam Bondi is doing!

And she has a puppy too:

Wonder what she yells in the woods? :)

She was on Greta/Fox tonight and she was so terrific that Andrew Sullivan will be writing about her dog in 1..2..3!

[Melinda Romanoff]

Time to fade.

G'night all.

[maryrose]

Ann and daddy:
Thanks for the Alaska update.Any gain in votes for Miller is a good sign. i think it is going to go down to the wire though and the lawsuit will be part of the equation. Changing the law during an election is unethical, If they want old Murkycow they should at the very least know how to spell her name correctly.

[Ann]

Mel:

Hope I didn't make you leave and sorry I am interrupting your conversation.

It is so hard to catch up some days, I don't know where to post.

Clarice:

I thought this was a fair recap on Palin:

2010 Elections: The Palin Effect

Much like her decision to resign from the governorship after facing a slew of bogus, costly ethics charges, Palin’s choice of endorsements doesn’t appear to be based on what will or won’t preserve her political future. Rather, it seems to be based on her principles—like them or not. Regardless, a 71% success rate can only do her political future—if she wants one, that is—a whole lot of good.

Of course, you know I am a Palin fan but so be it.

[daddy]

Thanks Ann,

I need to hear that Mark Levin program and will get to that later tonight. From what I'm hearing and reading out here, they are dismissing using the State Law that I posted the other night, and are instead going with some more subjective and ill-defined "Voter Intent" concept, instead of complying with the undeniable Letter Of The Law as exactly listed in the State Statutes. Maddening.

All day Fagan tried to get the Lt Governor or his Press Secretary on the show, but was unsuccessful. Beigel had on Joe Miller discussing the continually changing standards and I thought that was good.

I still think he has very little chance, but it was good to see him cut the lead by almost 2000 votes today, with the Absentee Ballots from heavy pro- Joe territory of Kenai and Fairbanks still to be counted.

I keep hearing snippets about the Absentee Military Ballots. I may be wrong but my impression is that they are still not ready to be counted and may still be inbound. Will keep my ears open.

[narciso]

They are pulling the same garbage they tried in Florida, ten years ago, daddy. You would think they would be embarassed to admit that
they should know the same of the family that has been in top ranks of Alaskan politics for
thirty years, but they are ultimately shameless in this regard. Campbell has proved such a dissapointment, I foolishly thought someone who had headed the NG would be trustworthy

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Daddy: Are they talking much up there about the lawsuit Miller filed today?

[daddy]

Its surprising to me too Narciso,

I have learned so much about Elections and Electioneering up here this Election season and it is not a pretty thing.

I hope this Mead Treadwell guy who just got elected Lt Governor will do a better job and simply apply the Law as written. Here was his comment on the Job description from his campaign website:

"Another of the Lieutenant Governor’s duties is to run free, fair, honest and trusted elections. The Lieutenant Governor is responsible for our state’s Division of Elections. I have significant experience in Alaska election law starting with the 1978 Hickel/Hammond Primary Election dispute. I helped audit that election, and presented evidence accepted by the court that over 10,000 ballots were improperly executed. I worked with the late Senator Tim Kelly to revise Alaska Election Law after this watershed event. I support the voter roll modernization efforts started by Sean Parnell when he was Lieutenant Governor and continued by our current Lieutenant Governor Craig Campbell."

Simply from what I have seen from our current Lt Governor, after having read the actual Statue that he was supposed to enforce, I have no respect for the guy whatever. As a non-Lawyer I simply think that the Law should be what it is and the LT Governor should follow it. Nothing less, nothing more, and it seems so simply written, that IMHO any reasonably intelligent and uncorrupt person in the position of Lt Governor would not have let us wind up in this predicament of continually fluxing, undefined legal standards.

And I thought making sausage was ugly.

[daddy]

Sara,

It is big news on Conservative Talk Radio, but unfortunately the bigger news our Local Media is focusing on today is Ted Danson testifying as some Global Drilling expert to the old MMS board, (which I believe Salazar renamed as The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement.)

Stories are appearing, but I believe the general sentiment of the Media and "Business as Usual" Lisa supporters, is that they are still so confident that Lisa will win, that attention is not strongly focused on the recount matter. Other stuff is occupying them, such as In State Political jockeying, Movie Stars testifying, and perfunctory Palin bashing (ie--Dancing Bristol, the Noonan Nincompoop column, etc.)

This is what I gather needs to happen for Miller to make it tight and to catch the Media's attention.

Tomorrow he needs to get that overall lead number down to about 8,000-9,00 votes. Currently it is at a lead of 11, 557 by Candidate "Write-In." The outstanding votes to be counted tomorrow should be positive to Joe in that regard.

The last significant Write In candidate up here (10 years back) had 5,000 ballots thrown out for non-compliance with the rules that Joe Miller is suing to have enforced. Using that guys ballot numbers and percentages as a rough guide, and applying his proportion of Ballots tossed to Lisa's potential numbers, that leads to potential toss outs of about @ 7,000-8,000. Then add in the Military Absentee Ballots whenever they show up, (which should heavily favor Miller), and suddenly we've got a horse race.

So not impossible, but definitely a long shot, and currently enough of a long shot to have lulled the media into concentrating on Movie Stars.

FWIW, in 1988 Ted Danson publicly stated that the Oceans would be dead by 1998. Who knows what we'll know about the Oceans by wake up time tomorrow.

[Neo]

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) called for compromise and cooperation between Democrats and Republicans during remarks in Virginia on Monday, and equated the Tea Party movement on the right with progressive MoveOn.org activists.

"There's a super left on my party -- the MoveOn crowd in my party -- and the Tea Party crowd on the other party," he said after a meeting with tourism officials in Staunton, Va. "You know, they don't compromise. So I, for one, am -- there are too many times I bit my lip in the first year, or bit my tongue. I'm done."

[Steven]

Working in a meat market, I can tell you that pork, chicken, and some sections of the beef market are higher now than at the same point last year.

[Porchlight]

Wal-Mart's prices are noticeably up from a year ago. As someone from a family who has to stretch every dollar to make it through the month, I can tell you, we notice.

[Dave (in MA)]

As a cat owner, I noticed that cat litter went up about 25%-30% over the past year or so. I think the government needs to look into whether Big Clay is engaged in some sort of price fixing.

[glasater]

Pofarmer--

Sheesh--a new combine? I photographed a New Holland a week or so back for an ad campaign with a leveler that was priced the very best part of half a million dollars.

[Janet the tea-vangelist!]

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) called for compromise and cooperation between Democrats and Republicans

I'm drowning in hypocrites here in Virginia! I went on a rant about Big Head Sen. Jim Webb on the other thread, and Sen. Mark Warner is the same. After Warner is done with the phony angst & hand wringing...he always, Always, ALWAYS voted for every crap Dem. piece of legislation. He didn't compromise. He did exactly as he was told by Obama/Pelosi/Reid.

[Janet the tea-vangelist!]

Dave,
Big Clay, Hah!

[daddy]

Tonight, while waiting for the Alaska Division of Elections to comply with State Law and give me the mandatory 24 hour advance phone call before starting their Write In ballot count, I popped a beer and started cruising the BBC Science section.

">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11718029"> Cricket earns big testicles title. An offbeat but Interesting story. A cricket species with "cajone's" 14 percent of body weight! And all this time we thought they were rubbing their legs together to make that "chirping" sound.

Next story immediately following was ">http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8792000/8792008.stm"> Super squid sex organ discovered. 'Nuff said. Feel free to read it if you're in to that sort of thing...

But it was the following article that really got me scratching my head: ">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10209169"> Less attractive fish have 'better sperm'.

"Less attractive fish?"

Never mind the sperm, I just wanna' know how they decided which are the "less attractive fish?"

"Hey Nigel, Look at the pectorals on this Cod!"
"Gor Blimey Rupert, but ain't she loverly!"

Thinking about that may just keep me tossing and turning till the wee hours.

G'nite.

[AL]

In last couple of years food prices went crazy (Vancouver(Ca) – Seattle area). I regularly visit 4+ supermarket chains like Costco, Save-on-foods (Ca), Superstore (Ca), Fred Mayers (US), and couple of other smaller stores. The price difference for virtually all food items is astonishing between the shops. There is no general pattern: in one shop rib eye could be half the price, while lamb shoulder is twice the price. Next month it is 180 degree in reverse. Same crazy discrepancies for any other staples.

My advice: remember the particular prices and shop in different chains. I consistently buy milk cheaper than gasoline and free range chicken cheaper than potato in Whole Foods. BTW, it exposes you to wider variance of foods: just last month I discovered joints selling original Italian Parma prosciutto, hackleback caviar, and original Austrian Salami, to name a few.

"Bags of ground coffee…:

Pre-ground coffee is remarkable shitty. Get coffee beans in Costco, grind it, and brew the real staff in Bialetti stove-top, like in the LUN

[Rick Ballard]

"Do you think QE2 has already had all the effect it's going to, though? "were already realized" sounds like it's finished."

bgates,

Sorry to be late in replying but a nasty cold took me off early. I believe that the Fed is so deeply involved in market interventions across the board that there is no way for me to evaluate the course of the market. Many retail investors appear to agree with me, which is why retail money continues to be withdrawn. I believe that Mel is correct in his assertion that the Fed has been protecting money center banks by "helping" them book profits through their prop desks in order to offset losses on charge offs. The whole "mountains of cash on the sidelines" story is rather risible when you change the wording to "reserves against probable losses" and consider that accounts receivable constitute possibly the largest pool of credit extended.

If Bernanke wishes to increase general confidence then he should kill Citi and BAC and let the corpses be dismembered and distributed (preferably to owners residing in Texas and Florida). Until that is done I see no reason to trust anything to do with the rotting northeastern root ball.

[sbw]

"The Arch is a treasure."

Symbolic, too: rotting from within.

[Porchlight]

in Bialetti stove-top, like in the LUN

That's what I use to make my coffee. Just took my first sip.

[Pofarmer]

"Sheesh--a new combine? I photographed a New Holland a week or so back for an ad campaign with a leveler that was priced the very best part of half a million dollars."

Hey, you gotta understand, mynidea of a new combine is ten years oldbwith a couple or three thousand hours on it, but, you're still pushing 75 Grand. Mel's suggestion of satelite radio, coupled with wintrtime pm, is probably closer to the mark.

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

Trust me prices are going way up. As a kid, my mother only bought food that was on sale - and for some reason I have followed that tradition - easy to do if you have a freezer. At any rate, the price of food has pretty much skyrocketed. A grocery bill of $35.00 is now $50.00. And it shows no sign of waning.

[Extraneus]

Alabama Congressman Defends Remark That Palin Cost GOP the Senate

In a statement Tuesday, Bachus spokesman Tim Johnson said the congressman was expressing a widely held belief that stronger Republican candidates could have won in states such as Delaware and Nevada, where Republicans Christine O'Donnell and Sharron Angle lost.

"That's a lesson going forward," Johnson said. "As the article noted, (Bachus) was extremely complimentary of the Tea Party movement and Governor Palin in crediting them with the great turnout of conservatives that led to many of the successes on Tuesday."

"He said that the Tea Party, rather than being criticized, is on the same page as many in the country, including independents, in cutting spending, lowering taxes and limiting the size of government," Johnson added.

Off with his metaphorical head.

[Jack is Back!]

narciso,

Pam Bondi is one up-coming pol. I see her replacing Scott when his time is up. Too early to go after Nelson in 2012. Lemieux is talking about that effort but I think he is screwed by being Crist's placeholder. But Nelson is vulnerable just on all his votes for the Obama agenda. Who we got? We used all our ammo in this mid-term.

[narciso]

No, he proved himself to ably tap dance, out of Charlie's embrace, this term, he did support the last jobs bill, no one's perfect,
so I'd give him a shot. Nelson's another space cadet that never returned to Earth

[DebinNC]

Who we got?"

You got Mike Huckabee

[DebinNC]

Not to defend Bachus who isn't the best choice as chair imo, but his widely dispersed "Palin cost us the Senate" quote may have been taken out of context. He was speaking to a local Chamber of Commerce, where he was likely answering direct questions like "Did Palin cost us the Senate?" The local reporter whose article contained the quote didn't mention what came before or after it.

[Pofarmer]

Typepad, still sucks.

Baucus seems williing to ignore the huge shift in state houses, as well as federal, possibly cutting a generatipn pf Dim politicians off at the knees. How many of these were nonestablishment candidates? And, it also begs the question, if these republican candidates were so awesome, why couldn't they win their primaries? Must have just not been getting their messagw out correctly. Baucus better watch out, or he'll have a target on his back.

[narciso]

Bachus, like the Delta House, is on double secret probation, so he's on notice

[JM Hanes]

I think too many folks conflate Palin and the tea parties -- on both sides.

Pofarmer:

"And, it also begs the question, if these republican candidates were so awesome, why couldn't they win their primaries?"

Which then begs the questions, if these tea party candidates were so awesome, why didn't they win their elections, no?

[Rob Crawford]

Which then begs the questions, if these tea party candidates were so awesome, why didn't they win their elections, no?

Because they were betrayed by the blue-bloods who demand Ivy Leaguers and fellow grifters be the only ones allowed at the trough.