Alaska congressman ♥s Florida money

Now, what do you suppose a congressman from Seward's Folly is doing directing millions of dollars in federal earmarks to Florida? Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) did just that. And you'll never guess why:

There is nothing unusual about a congressman from Alaska secretly allocating $10 million for a Florida interchange or helping secure $81 million for a related project.

That’s what Rep. Don Young (R-AK) told the Anchorage Daily News in response to a New York Times story about his involvement in slipping Coconut Road in Fort Myers, Florida about $81 million. The extension of the road and the creation of an interchange is a boon for real estate developers in the area, several of whom are big Republican donors. One in particular, Daniel J. Aronoff, said he helped raise $40,000 for Young days before the $10 million earmark appeared because, as an Aronoff consultant explained: “We were looking for a lot of money.” Young was the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee at the time.

Okay, maybe you could guess why.

So, like all true Republics, Don Young, perhaps best known for his "Bridge to Nowhere 2: Electric Boogaloo" boondoggle, is a corrupt moneygrubber. However, he's also an asshole:

When a Times reporter approached Young near the House floor about the Coconut Road story the congressman gave the journalist an obscene gesture, apparently declining to comment.

Yep, it's the old "go fuck yourself" defense. That's a winner every time.

When I taught in D.C. in the late 1980s, I found Sens. Ted Stevens and Frank Murkowski (both R-Alaska) to be the most odious, unpleasant, downright nasty members of Congress I ever encountered. It seems Alaska has made sending Republic assholes to Congress somewhat of a tradition.

Southwest Florida Republicans (who are legion over there) thank you, Rep. Young. They may not be able to vote for you, but by God, those dollars are just as good, right?