Marketable Securities and Derivative Instruments: Marketable Securities (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Realized Gain (Loss), Disclosures [Abstract]
Other than temporary impairment loss			$ 3,361,000
Available For Sale Securities Gross Realized Gains Losses Sale Proceeds	69,559,000	281,486,000	64,355,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Realized Gain (Loss)	5,020,000	22,604,000	3,834,000
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Marketable securities	741,321,000	766,116,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	659,595,000	721,027,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gain (Loss)	81,726,000	45,089,000
JC Penney [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Equity Securities	653,228,000	601,303,000
Available-for-sale Equity Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	591,069,000	591,069,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gain (Loss)	62,159,000	10,234,000
Other Equity Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Equity Securities	29,544,000	46,545,000
Available-for-sale Equity Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	13,561,000	25,778,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gain (Loss)	15,983,000	20,767,000
Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Securities	58,549,000	118,268,000
Available-for-sale Debt Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	54,965,000	104,180,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gain (Loss)	$ 3,584,000	$ 14,088,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturity, Date Range, Low	04/13	08/11
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturity, Date Range, High	10/18	10/18