Political Quotes

“I rise today to pay tribute to my long- time friend and very outstanding former colleague, Thomas P. ``Tip'' O'Neill. Tip and I served together for many years in the House Democratic whip organization and I supported him for majority leader and Speaker. I always enjoyed his friendship and I miss him very much. As you know, Tip had thousands of friends, but he always made you feel like you were a close friend and very important to him. Tip O'Neill was a true man of the people. He loved people and people loved him. He was particularly close to those he represented in his district in Massachusetts. My wife Lou and I once went to a restaurant in Boston that Tip had recommended. When I told the waiter that Tip O'Neill had sent us, the manager came out to meet us. They showered us with attention because we were Tip's friends. They just couldn't do enough for us. I'll never forget that. Tip O'Neill was a master at sizing people up and understanding what they were capable of. I think this insight contributed a great deal to his success in politics. He was equally at home with heads of state and with the man on the street. He did a great job when it came to dealing with dignitaries and he rubbed shoulders with the most important people in the world. But, to Tip, the most important people in the world-- besides his family members--were average Americans. He really cared about them.…”