Americans have become disgusted at the antics of the Republicans in the House of Representatives in the shutdown of the government. Speaker of the House John Boehner is viewed by many as weak and ineffective, especially in his inability to push back the radicals in his party. There are people that are advising Boehner. In a post at YahooNews, the National Journal lists those that are part of Boehner's closest confidants:
...Reps. Tom Latham of Iowa, Pat Tiberi of Ohio, and Mike Simpson of Idaho—House veterans, but not household names—are on the list. Notably absent are Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy of California, both of whom are allies but also represent rival power centers in the famously fractious chamber....
...there remains no official membership list. And if there was one, says LaTourette, there would be layers to it.
For
instance, he named Tiberi, Simpson, Latham, and Sens. Saxby Chambliss
of Georgia and Richard Burr of North Carolina, both former
representatives. Boehner also counts on Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon, his
appointed National Republican Campaign Committee chairman, and Rep. Pete
Sessions, R-Texas, the previous NRCC chairman and now Rules Committee
chairman, to advise him about the political scene. And there is
Boehner’s “Ohio Mafia,” including Reps. Steve Stivers and Bob Latta.
Steve Stivers? Pat Tiberi? Bob Latta? Do you know what is missing? There is not one elected female member of the House in Boehner's inner circle, and not one member of a minority.
You might notice that Boehner tries to include Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers in every news conference or photo op, but clearly she is not part of the group advising Boehner--- she is just there for the picture.
