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Rutherford swims with sea creatures at Shedd Aquarium

By John Kendall
April 22, 2012 Updated Apr 23, 2012 at 11:21 AM CDT

CHICAGO, Ill. -- Sunday's Earth Day celebrations sent one Illinois politician off the deep end, literally.

State Treasurer Dan Rutherford donned a wet suit at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium on Sunday, and helped clean a 90,000 Caribbean reef that is home to more than 400 tropical Caribbean reef animals, such as stingrays, eels, and yes, sharks.

Afterward, Rutherford said he didn't know which was worse, swimming with sharks, or working in Springfield.

"The sharks in the ocean are abundantly respectful. They have a purpose in life. Now, the sharks in the state capitol, I've got a little different interpretation of, and I'm not sure if they have a direct purpose in life, but the fact is they are there too. I've learned to swim with sharks at both the state capital and in the ocean today," said Rutherford.

Rutherford went on to say that the Shedd has a soy palamor roof on it, which is made out of soybeans from Illinois.

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