While crafting a bill intended to rescue the U.S. economy this week, lawmakers couldn’t stop themselves from adding billions of dollars in tax breaks that have little to do with restoring confidence in financial markets.

Senators quietly tucked a number of earmarks into the tax package of the 451-page bill that was passed Wednesday night and is expected to be put to a vote in the House today: a $2 million tax benefit for makers of wooden arrows for children; a $100 million tax break to benefit auto racetrack owners; $192 million in rebates on excise taxes for the Puerto Rican and Virgin Islands rum industry; $148 million in tax relief for U.S. wool fabric producers; and a $49 million tax benefit for fishermen and other plaintiffs who sued over the 1989 tanker Exxon Valdez spill…

The tax earmarks were scarcely noticed during the Senate debate over a bill that featured a $700 billion bailout package and a $112 billion tax package, including the renewal of popular tax breaks for businesses and renewable energy projects and a one-year effort to shield at least 20 million Americans from paying the alternative minimum tax.

The bill was approved easily, 74-25, winning support even from lawmakers who have crusaded against earmarks – including Arizona Sen. John McCain, the Republican Party’s presidential nominee, who warned last week that he might oppose a bailout bill if it included more pork-barrel spending.

“It is completely unacceptable for any kind of earmarks to be included in this bill,” he said in a speech in Freeland, Mich. “It would be outrageous for legislators and lobbyists to pack this rescue plan with taxpayer money for favored companies. This simply cannot happen.”

But, of course, it did.

Paulson’s original proposal was 3 pages long. The Senate passed on 451 pages. The House version is over 1,000 pages. Do you think it has less Pork than the Senate version – or are they all greedy bastards?

Thanks, Cinaedh