How Do Major Public Works Projects Get Funded?

A wise General once told me that:

It is much easier to get a project funded in Congress if it shows up on the front page of the NY Times or Washington Post.

I watched the program to up armor Humvees and develop the MRAP move rapidly through the funding process, as a result of the power of the mainstream media.

However, I never truly appreciated the wisdom of this statement until I saw the impact of $130 oil on the world economy and the political decision making process.