Political Quotes

“I want to pay tribute to the memory of Thomas P. ``Tip'' O'Neill, a man who will long be ranked among the greatest Speakers of the U.S. House of Representatives. I will always recall with pleasure the fact that Speaker O'Neill administered the oath of office for Members of the House when I began my service in the House in 1980. Speaker O'Neill represented to me the very model of what a Congressman should be. He was a man who knew his district in Boston not simply as blocs of voters but as friends and neighbors. His famous line--``All politics is local''--reminded many of the simple truth that the views and priorities of local voters should always be kept first in the minds of Members of Congress. He taught me the importance of never forgetting the fact that I may serve in Washington but my home will always be with friends and neighbors in Pittsburgh. Speaker O'Neill was a partisan Democrat in the finest sense of the term. He believed intensely in the idea that principles do matter and that elected officials and political parties must at times struggle aggressively to defend and promote the principles on which they campaign. Tip O'Neill was also a man who understood the fact that political differences did not and should not lead automatically to personal conflict. He was a man who could argue all day with a political opponent about an issue without questioning that individual's integrity or character.”