Tip,; A Biography of Thomas P. O'Neill, Speaker of the House
New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1980. First Printing [stated]. Hardcover. 24 cm, [8], 246, [2] pages. Chapter Notes and Sources. Index. Some wear and tears to DJ edges. Inscribed by Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill on fep. Paul Clancy was a former Washington correspondent and reporter for the Washington Star and the author of a biography of Senator Sam Ervin. Shirley Elder was formerly with the Washington Star and then worked for Media General Newspapers. Examines the life, character, and career of this consummate politician, recreating a colorful world that extends from Boston's Irish neighborhoods all the way to Capital Hill. Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill Jr. (December 9, 1912 – January 5, 1994) was an American politician who served as the 47th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987, representing northern Boston, Massachusetts as a Democrat from 1953 to 1987. The only Speaker to serve for five complete consecutive Congresses, he is the third longest-serving Speaker in American history after Sam Rayburn and Henry Clay. O'Neill was elected to the congressional seat vacated by Senator-elect John F. Kennedy in 1952. He would be reelected 16 more times, never facing serious opposition. During his second term in the House, O'Neill was selected to the House Rules Committee where he proved a crucial asset for the Democratic leadership, particularly his mentor, fellow Boston congressman and later Speaker, John William McCormack. After wrestling with the issues surrounding the Vietnam War, in 1967 O'Neill broke with President Lyndon B. Johnson and came out in opposition to America's involvement. In 1971, O'Neill was appointed Majority Whip in the House, the number three position for the Democratic Party in the House. Two years later, in 1973, he was elected House Majority Leader, following the disappearance of a small plane carrying Majority Leader Hale Boggs and Congressman Nick Begich in Alaska. As Majority Leader, O'Neill was the most prominent Democrat in the House to call for the impeachment of President Richard M. Nixon in light of the Watergate scandal. One of O'Neill's greatest accomplishments as Speaker involved Northern Ireland. O'Neill worked with fellow Irish-American politicians New York Governor Hugh Carey, Senator Ted Kennedy, and Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan to craft a peace accord between the warring factions. Beginning with the "Saint Patrick's Day declaration" in 1977, denouncing violence in Northern Ireland and culminating with the Irish aid package upon the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1985, the "Four Horsemen" as they were called, convinced both Carter and Reagan to press the British government on the subject. After retiring from Congress in 1987, O'Neill published his autobiography, Man of the House. It became a national bestseller. The book also helped turn the former Speaker into a national icon, and O'Neill starred in a number of commercials, including ones for Trump Shuttle, Commodore Computers, Quality International Budget Hotels, and one for Miller Lite. On November 18, 1991, O'Neill was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by president George H. W. Bush. Condition: Very good / Good.
Keywords: Boston, Massachusetts, Vietnam, Carl Albert, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, John McCormack, John F. Kennedy, Tip O'Neill, Speaker of the House, Politicians, James Curley, Richard Nixon, David Obey, Sam Rayburn
ISBN: 0025257005
[Book #73128]
Price: $75.00