Nelson Ludlow and his wife started a technology business in Port Townsend, WA with a small amount of money scraped and spent it in an unusual way: They hired a lobbyist and started giving to a congressional campaign fund.

The lobbying paid off. Soon, an $800,000 earmark for the Ludlows was tucked into a 2003 spending bill, giving their tiny startup, Mobilisa, a no-bid contract to provide Internet service on Puget Sound ferries.  Full Story