John Boehner Really, Really Loves Lobbyists

Rep. John Boehner, would-be speaker of the House, has an unusually close relationship with lobbyists, finds the New York Times. The "perpetually tanned, sharply tailored, chain-smoking golfer" from Ohio cultivates an inner circle tied to some of America's most powerful companies, particularly tobacco and financial services firms.

Though Boehner's alliances have helped him rise through the ranks of the GOP, his pro-business style has drawn fire from Democrats. He "epitomizes the smoked-filled, backroom, special-interest deal making that turns off voters about Washington," says one Dem. But Boehner and his friends insist he's just—and quite literally—taking care of business. "That is how you get things done,” one lobbyist says.

(More John Boehner stories.)