PORKBUSTERS UPDATE: Citizens Against Government Waste has released the 2008 Congressional Pig Book, and it’s full of juicy, greasy, goodness. Here’s a summary:

Some of the biggest pork projects, according to the group, include a Lobster Institute; the Rocky Flats, Colorado, Cold War Museum; and the First Tee, a program to build young people’s character through golf.

Members of Congress requested funds for all these pet projects and thousands of others last year, according to the latest copy of the annual “Pig Book” released by Citizens Against Government Waste.

“Congress stuffed 11,610 projects” worth $17.2 billion into a dozen spending bills, the group said in the report released Wednesday.

The “Pig Book” names dozens of what the citizens group considers the most egregious porkers, the lawmakers who funnel money to projects on their home turf.

Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi, the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, requested the most money, $892.2 million, according to the group. . . .

“There were several candidates for the Narcissist Award,” Tom Schatz, the president of the group said.

“But this one went to House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel for the Charles Rangel Public Service Center at the City College of New York — $1,950,000 (to a project) that he named after himself.”

Rangel, a Democrat from New York, said last summer he was “honored that City College chose to have my name attached to what is an important project, not just for the residents of my congressional district, but for New York City and this nation.”

A call to Rangel’s office wasn’t immediately returned.

Both parties came in for criticism, with the Democrats who control both houses of Congress topping the Republicans in spending.

Read the whole thing(s) — and ask your Senators and Representative if they’ll take the Earmark Moratorium pledge.