This is CBS Eye on the World.

Here's John Batchelor.

This is CBSI on the world.

I'm John Batchel.

Lancaster County, the best county in the Keystone State,

watching Lancaster here at election time for the economy, for the

election, for peace of mind in a county that's understood to be storied, famous. It's on the

border with Maryland. It is also dominated by a blue city, Lancaster City, and a red county all around it.

Jim McTagg, the Washington editor of Barron's long time, now retired as a novelist of Lancaster

County, is here to report first on the county's economy and its prospects here at election

time.

Then we'll move to the national story. Jim, a very good evening to you.

We begin with your shopping week. You've been at Costco, the best Costco in the nation. It has a

hay barn for the Amish. Who's shopping? How many? And what are they buying? Good evening to you, Jim.

Good evening, John. You know, everybody, the middle class

and the upper class are all shopping at Costco. It appears to me to be their food market of choice,

because when I look at their baskets, the baskets are heaped full of goodies.

Everything is deep discounted.

So what I sense is that although business is not as good as it was a year ago, although it slowed slightly, it's still pretty good as long as the merchants are offering bargains.

Where the baskets fill, Jim, because you've reported sometimes they have a few items in the basket,

only food, only things that are discounted, and they're not buying TVs.

What does it look like?

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