Within the GOP power structure of the U.S. House of Representatives, and it’s probably true for the Democratic side aisle as well, there are two types of members – the workhorses and the showhorses (so I’m told). That is there are members that work behind the scenes and remain out of the national spotlight in order jockey for better committee assignment and negotiate certain legislative deals. Those are the workhorses. But then there are the ones we see on TV all the time that aren’t necessarily high-ranking members – the Reps. Michele Bachmanns, Anthony Weiners, etc. – any member of the House that is on national TV more than twice a month.

Now from outsiders perspective, one might try to read into this and think – well there are certain members of Congress that are doing it for the public exposure and the ones doing it because they want to make a difference in Washington. But don’t be fooled – the ones that are quiet have their own ambitions. It’s just that they’re not quite willing to go on national TV for fear of saying something dumb and being ruined.

But the so-called showhorses on the other hand. They’re the ones that generate excitement. Like for example, Rep. Ron Paul. He votes no on almost every bill and espouses the same tired unrealistic philosophy and he has certainly never turned a TV opportunity away. However, these are the ones we all tune into see and the reason that perhaps some may even go out and vote.

Watching Rep. Michele Bachmann on the June 30 broadcast of “The O’Reilly Factor,” it finally clicked. Bachmann can go on TV, make the harshest of statements, take some tough principled stands and Rep. XYZ, Republican from Tennessee or Kansas or wherever – they don’t have to. She is doing it for them and if she oversteps, then they can say, “My views don’t necessarily reflect hers.”

But in the meantime, as midterm elections approach and both sides of the political spectrum are revving up – it’ll be the Bachmanns of Congress that fuel the engine, while the not-so-willing-to-be-public member can lay low, fund-raise and jockey for the better committee assignments. As long as she is willing to do that for her fellow members – that is shoulder the public spotlight burden, then her colleagues ought not complain about the workhorse/showhorse system that has permeated the Capitol Hill.

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4. House GOP Wastes No Time
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