There’s a great piece up at The Atlantic by Jonathan Krohn that profiles Cleta Mitchell, who was the primary force behind GOProud’s exclusion from CPAC last year (and was embarrassed this year when her anti-gay panel featuring NOM’s Brian Brown was sparsely attended, while GOProud’s Jimmy LaSalvia was on a standing-room only panel).

She’s a partner in the powerful firm of Foley & Lardner and has among her client base of DC social conservatives Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC). Mitchell was referred to by the Wall Street Journal as “the consigliere” when it comes to campaign finance law, embraced by virtually all of the teahadist candidates.

Foley & Lardner, a major DC law firm, is rolling out the red carpet to honor one of its partners — Cleta Mitchell — later this month at a big shindig in Tampa. Many right wingers will be there to partake in the salute to her: Jim DeMint (SC), James Inhofe (OK), Marco Rubio (FL), Rick Santorum, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, Al Cardenas, Chairman of American Conservative Union and Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice-President, of National Rifle Association, among other luminaries.