Pig Book

The 2008 Congressional Pig Book Summary gives a snapshot of each appropriations bill and details the juiciest projects culled from the complete Pig Book. (PDF)

"I believe that this book should be read by every citizen in America…What is being done here by CAGW, in my view, is of the greatest importance. [My] constituents…need to have these concrete examples of the way that business is done here in Washington, D.C., unfortunately, and the only way it’s going to stop is when it’s exposed."

-- Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.)

From p. 13:

$1,648,850 for the Shedd Aquarium by Senate appropriator Richard Durbin (D-Ill), Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), House appropriator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.).

The aquarium's website says the facility was a "gift to the people of Chicago from John Graves Shedd, president and chairman of the board of Marshall Fields & Company."

This aquarium receives 2 million visitors per year and has 36 corporate benefactors.

At the end of 2004 (the last year for which information is available), the aquarium had a fund balance of approximately $200 million.

Those are some liquid assets!