Every year, the Citizens Against Government Waste, a government watchdog group, compiles the Congressional Pig Book, a list of the pork-barrel projects in the federal budget.

The 2008 Pig Book identified 11,610 projects at a cost of $17.2 billion in the 12 Appropriations Acts for fiscal 2008. The group defines pork as "a line-item project in an appropriations bill that designates tax dollars for a specific purpose in circumvention of established budgetary procedures."

The group singles out specific earmarks for an "oinker" award and, thankfully for us here at PoliticalExtra, the group singled out a project for Maine.

"The Taxpayers Get Steamed Award" goes to to GOP Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe and Rep. Thomas Allen, a Democrat, for $188,000 for the Lobster Institute.

We'll dig into the Lobster Institute later, but for now check out the Pig Book here.

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