Sunday's New York Times features a front page story on the frantic lobbying push by several big business interests for last minute favors from the Bush administration before he leaves office. Speculation that a different party will be in power after the '08 elections has the manufacturing, trucking, and coal industries (among many others) looking for a return on their previous campaign donation investments.High on the agenda is the roll back or weakening of regulations and consumer protection acts governing coal mining, poultry farming, and car manufacturing. There's also a push to weaken the Family Medical Leave Act (the law that provides for maternity leave, lets you take off when you're ill, or to care for an ill family member). Lobbyists are "racing to secure final approval for a wide range of health, safety, labor and economic rules, in the belief that they can get better deals from the Bush administration than from its successor."  And these interests have paid their dues to Bush in 2000 and 2004, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.  The coal mining industry threw $377,230 Bush's way, the poultry industry gave $173,730, and the trucking industry laid out $880,945. If these industries get what they're after then public health, consumer safety, and the environment will take the hit.  We're gathering signatures on a petition to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) asking that they do what they can to stop these "parting gifts" from President Bush to his industry donors.  Click here to sign that petition.