Fiscal cliff notes

Famous potatoes, infamous vodka: Idaho’s U.S. Sen. Michael Crapo, R-Swaying Stance, does not plan to fight a charge of drunken driving following his arrest last week in Alexandria, Va., after running a stop light. Tests showed blood alcohol levels of 0.11 percent and 0.14 percent.

Washington, D.C.,-area police departments tailor their field sobriety tests for members of Congress. Crapo’s tests included: seeing how quickly he could vote no on a tax increase for the wealthy; with his eyes closed, bringing his outstretched hands together to accept pork; and walking a straight line over the fiscal cliff.

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Got milk price supports? While Congress has dithered over a budget agreement and tax deal that would avert the so-called fiscal cliff, it has put off action on a farm bill that if not passed by Jan. 1 could result in increases in the price of milk by as much as $3 a gallon.

Even without a farm bill, the U.S. Agriculture Department said prices would not jump immediately. When the nation’s cows heard that prediction, they laughed so hard milk came out their noses.

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Cliffhanger: With just days left before the end of the year, President Barack Obama assembled four congressional leaders for a last-ditch attempt to avoid the fiscal cliff. Obama said after the meeting he was optimistic that a deal could pass both houses before the new year.

Listening in, Sen. Crapo laughed so hard, alcohol came out of his nose.

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