With a bit of luck and an eye on the ballot boxes, it may be Dubya's last gift to his fat, rich friends. It's unlikely, though, any of the corporations who've benefited from the $145-billion (U.S.) worth of new tax breaks passed through the Senate last Monday will forget the party that stroked them.

The bill, which Arizona Senator John McCain has called "the worst example of special interests I have ever seen," includes drastic tax breaks for 276 über-companies and special-interest groups - Starbucks, NASCAR and Carnival Cruise Lines among them.

Though the bill offers some space to discouraging offshore tax havens, critics - including Treasury Secretary John Snow - point out its benefits to U.S.-based multinationals promotes even more foreign outsourcing.

While the bill breezed through the House and Senate, there was one small delay when it was noticed that a suggested benefit to employers who keep National Guard and reservist employees on payroll while they are serving on active duty was removed from the bill's final draft.

» Scott Saxon