Posted by Steve Shapiro on Sept. 28, 2015

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) was praised by Democrats and Republicans alike after his announcement of his resignation last Friday, but congressional press releases about the event still revealed partisanship in the Capitol.

In the 171 press releases they issued, members of Congress on both sides of the aisle tended to thank the speaker for his service, wish him the best for the future and highlight his life's success from humble beginnings as the son of a Cincinnati barkeeper. Many also referenced the Pope's recent visit.

But underlying the praise for Boehner was a deep partisan divide, with Democratic releases bemoaning the state of Congress. "The Pope urged Congress to work together, but today Speaker Boehner apparently determined he cannot achieve this goal," said Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.).

Democrats portrayed Boehner as a victim of radical ideologues from within his own party. Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), Rep. David Price (D-N.C.) and Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) also expressed a deep cynicism that Boehner's resignation would alleviate any of the present dysfunction. Others, like Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) recognized Boehner as a pragmatic compromiser and said that "it's a gross understatement to say I will miss him."

Republican responses were much more mixed. Many from the GOP expressed support for the announcement and appealed for a stronger conservative to serve as the next speaker. Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas) called for "bold, conservative leadership" in his release and was echoed by Rep. Scott DesJarlais's (R-Md.) statement that "Republican leadership needed a new direction," and by Rep, Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) who said, "we need bold leadership more than ever, and the speaker now has graciously given us that opportunity."

Republican members, like some of their Democratic counterparts, often prefaced their statements by acknowledging that they didn't always agree with the speaker.

According to LegiStorm's database of all press releases, the vast majority of the releases, 136, came from Republican members, comprising about 80% of the 171 total. Of these, 125 came from House members and 11 came from the Senate.

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