In advance of the publication of House minority whip Eric Cantor’s new book Young Guns, coauthored with fellow whippersnappers Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R., Wisc.), Politico did that thing Politico does, and published a story on Cantor’s ambitions, and their collision course with minority leader John Boehner (R., Ohio):

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor has asked the ethics committee to greenlight a national book tour this August for a new GOP manifesto he’s co-authoring with two younger members of Congress, according to sources familiar with the situation.
This is classic Cantor: a hyperambitious move to publish and push ideas he thinks will help rebrand the GOP, on his terms — and not necessarily those of his boss, Minority Leader John Boehner.
If this were an isolated incident, it would pass without a peep. But it’s not: Cantor is earning a reputation for pushing his ideas so hard and so often that some GOP colleagues are questioning his motives. Is he guided by a burning desire to help the party — or to boost himself?
“Boehner is running 1994 all over again,” a senior Republican lawmaker said, meaning Boehner wants to rely on a wave of voter anger with Democrats to ride into the majority. “Cantor and [California Rep. Kevin McCarthy] see it totally differently.”

Oh, controversy! But there is little pay-off for this set-up, as the consensus from Politico’s sources (and from mine, for what it’s worth) seems to be that, though Boehner and Cantor aren’t besties, their relationship is just fine:

Cantor declined to comment for this article — and Boehner offered a conventional we-get-along-just-fine response. “We have a good working relationship,” Boehner told POLITICO. “Eric works extremely hard, and he brings an awful lot to the table.”
Boehner, though, concedes the two men “have very different styles.” POLITICO talked to numerous GOP lawmakers for this story, some on the condition their names would not be used, so they could speak candidly about a sensitive topic and relationship.
People inside the GOP leadership circle say there is rarely noticeable friction between the two men — rather, there are clear personal and stylistic differences and distance.
Boehner is a backslapper who loves golf and socializes with his friends after hours at an Italian restaurant on Capitol Hill. Cantor is a serious wonk, hard to read and harder to really know well.
Boehner likes to joke around; he has often mocked Cantor for wearing Gucci loafers. Cantor is hyperactive, intensely focused and seemingly always in motion. “They’re not going to be vacationing together anytime soon, but I think they get along OK,” said a veteran GOP lawmaker.

And that’s just fine by me. Ask yourself: Has there been any daylight between Boehner and Cantor when it comes to the affairs of the House Republican caucus? Was the party anything less than unified on the health-care bill? On any of the Democrats’ spending bills? On any of the Pelosi/Obama agenda at all?