Eric Cantor plays loyal lieutenant to Boehner

And when Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner came to the Hill on Nov. 29 to deliver a White House proposal that included $1.6 trillion in new revenue, he met jointly with Boehner and Cantor.

“Just because he’s not in meetings with the president doesn’t mean he’s not involved,” a Cantor aide said.

Cantor’s allies also bristle at questions about his ambitions, a favorite Washington guessing game that sometimes creates the impression that he cares more about getting his next job than doing the one he has now.

His friends note that at 49, he has plenty of time to consider other prospects, including succeeding Boehner, 63, as speaker.

“I get annoyed that we’re never allowed to do what we’re doing because it’s right,” said Ray Allen Jr., a top political adviser. “He is the first Jewish majority leader in history. It’s the first time since the founding generation that a Virginian is in charge of anything in Washington. . . . He has an important job to do, and it’s a job he takes seriously.”

For now, both men have worked hard to portray a common front, both in public and in private.

The day after the election, Boehner delivered a major address, indicating for the first time that he was willing to include higher revenue from limiting deductions and closing loopholes in a deficit reduction deal, a significant change of position for the GOP. Cantor quickly issued a statement of support.

“I stand with Speaker Boehner when he says, ‘Let’s rise above the dysfunction, and do the right thing together for our country,’ ” he said.

Paul Kane contributed to this report.