White House worried about Paul Ryan’s efforts to unite GOP

President Obama often complains that Speaker John A. Boehner can’t control House Republicans, but on Thursday the White House expressed concern that Rep. Paul Ryan is trying to unify those same lawmakers in his bid to become the new speaker.

Observing that Mr. Ryan is seeking majority support from various House Republican factions, White House spokesman Eric Shultz said, “We hope that’s not a precursor of someone who wants to govern on a strictly partisan basis.”

“When we have divided government here in Washington, success only happens when Democrats and Republicans work together,” Mr. Schultz said. “We’ve seen House Republican leadership try and work only amongst themselves, and we’ve seen that not end well time and time again. We hope that whoever is the next speaker assumes that role with a willingness and an interest to work with Democrats, not just in Congress, but also within the administration.”

He said the Wisconsin Republican “clearly commands the respect of many of his colleagues,” and took the unusual added step of describing the president’s views on Mr. Ryan before the House votes on the new speaker.

“The president believes that congressman Ryan is someone who has given considerable thought to the significant issues that must be worked through in Congress,” Mr. Schultz said. “On some of those issues, he has worked with the president and with Democrats, like on trade and immigration. But on others, we have vastly different approaches.”