Again, it’s hard to fault Cantor for taking the deal. But anyone who cares about good government — especially those who advocate small government — ought to find his value a bit disconcerting.

If an investment firm is willing to pay $220,000 a month for a politician’s insight — even if he is an extraordinary politician — that tells us that Washington is more involved with our economy than it should be.

Cantor, generally a free-market guy, helped expand government’s role in the economy in important ways — championing the 2008 Wall Street bailout and the Export-Import Bank, and supporting Medicare’s 2003 expansion.

The intersection of politics and business is busier than it used to be. And Cantor is as good a man as any to help businesses navigate it.