What are Congressional Earmarks?

President Bush: "The People's Trust in their Government is Undermined by Congressional Earmarks";

"Earmarks are funds provided by the Congress for projects or programs where the congressional direction (in bill or report language) circumvents the merit-based or competitive allocation process, or specifies the location or recipient, or otherwise curtails the ability of the Executive Branch to properly manage funds. Congress includes earmarks in appropriation bills - the annual spending bills that Congress enacts to allocate discretionary spending - and also in authorization bills."

Related;
In Fairfield, McCain Attacks Clinton on Earmarks;

But then, in a pointed and an unusual targeted attack on one of the Democratic candidates, he assailed Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on the issue of pork-barrel spending, asking, to loud applause, “What do you want, a bridge to nowhere or a $1,000 tax credit for every child in America?”

“Senator Clinton has gotten $500 million worth of pork-barrel projects,” Mr. McCain continued. “That kind of thing is going to stop when I’m president of the United States of America.”