The sugar lobby has escaped a cut in its infamous sugar subsidy.

The sugar lobby gave $3.2 million during the 2004 elections, down from $3.4 million in 2000.

The sugar lobby is accustomed to responding fiercely to challenges, but those victories are harder to come by these days.

Add to that the fact that the sugar lobby is one hell of a big political contributor which most definitely does not want Cuban competition.

For the United States, it means a showdown with the influential textile and sugar lobbies.

In Washington, the Department of Agriculture and the sugar lobby know this.

The opposition also includes the sugar lobby, which apparently believes the huge, trade-distorting protections it already gets are not enough and wants to block more imports.

Smith was criticized by media outlets for his allegedly-passive attitude toward Florida's sugar lobby and their attacks on his primary opponent.

The government should heed her wisdom - and pay less attention to the sugar lobby - when it issues revamped nutrition guidelines next year.

"The sugar lobby proved invincible, surviving numerous attempts to eliminate the Federal subsidy program," the report said.