Paul Kiel November 12, 2007, 12:52 PM

Is there anyone to match Rep. Don Young’s (R-AK) earmarking abilities? Sure, Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) knows his way around an appropriations bill. But contractors know that the way to Murtha’s heart is to open an office in his district. Convincing Young to dole out federal dollars, however, seems even easier.

Witness the $280 billion 2005 transportation bill, Young’s masterpiece, the culmination of 30 plus years of experience. In it, Young not only tagged hundreds of millions for his home state — including his own bridge to nowhere — but he delivered for projects all over the country. Back in August, we gave a rundown of four states where contributors had ponied up for Young’s attention, and this weekend, McClatchy took a step back to admire the full scope of Young’s popularity outside of Alaska:

With money pouring in from transportation interests, Young amassed $6.5 million in political contributions from 2001 to 2005. Facing weak political opposition at home, he didn’t need much for his campaign. Instead, Young tapped his campaign fund to travel the country, often lavishly and in corporate jets, to meet with more developers and view their proposed highway projects….

Of the $6.5 million in contributions that Young collected — $5.5 million for his campaign and $1 million for his leadership political action committee (PAC) — about 85 percent came from people who didn’t live in Alaska and couldn’t vote for him.

And many of those contributors weren’t disappointed. We’ve written often about Florida’s Coconut Road project. But what about $5 million to help a developer build the largest shopping mall in America in Syracuse, New York? They’re just two among many. Take a look.

Don Young