Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
323153370
label
Tip O'Neill Anniversary Video 6/4/91 [OA 8324]
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
323153370
contentType
document
title
Tip O'Neill Anniversary Video 6/4/91 [OA 8324]
citationUrl
identifierLocal
13759-002
collections
Records of the White House Office of Speechwriting (George H. W. Bush Administration)
Speech Backup Chronological Files
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
323153370
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
1f3a4f2fb6d7608c
ocrText
Originally Processed With FOIA(s):
FOIA Number:
S
S
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential
Library Staff.
Record Group/Collection:
George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
Collection/Office of Origin:
Speechwriting, White House Office of
Series:
Speech File Backup Files
Subseries:
Chron File, 1989-1993
OA/ID Number:
13759
Folder ID Number:
13759-002
Folder Title:
Tip O'Neill Anniversary Video 6/4/91 [OA 8324]
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
G
26
21
4
5
Potus Rose I seat you replym
this wear uneckly
5/23/91
per our conversation
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN stand
Patty
5/23/91
1307 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036-1507
296-4480
R2
2) 331-1022-Fax
Yes WB,
May 16, 1991
Director of Communications
Cassidy and Associates
700 13th St., N.W.
Suite 400
Washington, D.C. 20005
Dear Shelia:
On June 15th, my parents will be celebrating their 50th wedding
anniversary. Their children are hosting a party for them and their friends
to celebrate this very special occasion. The centerpiece of the party will
be a video highlighting their courtship, wedding, family and friendships
through the years. Hopefully, it will be a fun and touching way to
reminisce. Included in the video will be a rendition of "their" song, Apple
Blossom Time performed by a group of Members of Congress. The O'Neill
siblings were discussing what a great honor it would be to include the
President and Mrs. Bush on the video wishing Millie and Tip "their best" on
this occasion.
I am writing to ask you if you thought that this would be possible. If
so, would you be willing to help us make the necessary arrangements to add
this special cameo appearance. Our parents have enjoyed the friendship and
company of the President and Mrs. Bush throughout the years and I believe
that they would be very moved by their participation.
Heidi Berenson is producing the video for us. She will be doing the
final editing in the first week of June. If you need any additional informa-
tion from Heidi or me, please call.
Thank you for your help in this request. It is greatly appreciated.
546-2020
Sincerely,
Susan Susan O'Neill Oneill
ne
the
Located on the Lower Level of The Historical Society of Washington, D.C.
5/30/91
Phil:
The President is enthusiastic about doing the video taping requested in
the attached letter from Susan O'Neill. Will you discuss with Kathy
Super to schedule a taping session and then staff out for necessary script.
Susan O'Neill has been notified, as has Sheila Tate. Many thanks.
Patty Presock
(The President's secretary)
Man of the House by Tip O'Neill
Ronald Reagan
341
gress, I sat behind him in the Speaker's chair, just as I had done
under Carter.
This time, however, sitting next to me was George Bush, the new
vice president. As the president spelled out his new economic pro-
gram, I couldn't resist the opportunity to tease Bush by whispering
in his ear during the interruptions for applause, "Voodoo econom-
ics, George. You understand that, don't you?" (Only a year earlier,
in the New Hampshire primary, Bush had been using that same
taunt to attack Reagan.)
"Quiet, Tip," he kept saying.
"Quiet?" I replied. "You've got to be kidding. You don't actually
believe this bullshit, do you?"
During the entire speech, we both kept a smile on our faces. A
few days later, George began to get letters: "Why are you so
friendly with that nasty-looking son of a bitch?"
In 1981, Ronald Reagan enjoyed a truly remarkable rookie year. He
pushed through the greatest increase in defense spending in Ameri-
can history, together with the greatest cutbacks in domestic pro-
grams and the largest tax cuts this country had ever seen.
Reagan's success didn't happen by accident. As soon as he came
into the White House, his staff imposed strict party discipline in
Congress. In the past, there were two or three dozen Republicans,
mostly from the Northeast, whom we could always count on. But
after 1980 we lost them-along with the southern Democrats. As a
result, the huge majority we had enjoyed during the Carter years
disappeared, a situation that wasn't helped by the loss of thirty-three
seats in the 1980 elections. (We did so badly in that campaign that
only three Republican incumbents were defeated in the House.)
The new president jumped in with both feet. Some House mem-
bers said they saw more of him during his first four months in office
than they saw of Jimmy Carter during his entire four years. Despite
the attitude he displayed during our first meeting, Reagan took
Congress very seriously and was always coming over to the Capitol
for meetings. According to what I heard, he instructed his people,
"Tell me who you want me to call and I'll take care of it." I would
have given my right arm to hear those words from Jimmy Carter.
Reagan had tremendous powers of friendly persuasion. He once
26
MAN OF THE HOUSE
was right: I had received a tremendous vote in the other sections of
the city, but I hadn't worked hard enough in my own backyard.
"Let me tell you something I learned years ago," he said. "All
politics is local."
It was good advice, and I've always adhered to it. My father
wasn't referring to Congress, of course, but the lesson applies there,
too. You can be the most important congressman in the country, but
you had better not forget the people back home. I wish I had a dime
for every politician I've known who had to learn that lesson the hard
way. I've seen so many good people come to Washington, where
they get so worked up over important national issues that they lose
the connection to their own constituents. Before they know it, some
new guy comes along and sends them packing.
Tip's
The second political lesson I learned from my first campaign
came from Mrs. O'Brien, our elocution-and-drama teacher in high
favorite story
school, who lived across the street. The night before the election,
Every one's
she said to me, "Tom, I'm going to vote for you tomorrow even
heard it
though you didn't ask me to."
1000 times
I was shocked. "Why, Mrs. O'Brien," I said, "I've lived across
from you for eighteen years. I cut your grass in the summer. I shovel
your walk in the winter. I didn't think I had to ask for your vote."
"Tom," she replied, "let me tell you something: people like to be
asked."
She gave me the lesson of my life, which is why I've been telling
that story for fifty years. But it's true: people do like to be asked-
and they also like to be thanked.
Poor Millie is sick of hearing me tell that Mrs. O'Brien story, and
Tip's
I can't blame her. But during my long career in Congress, we would
wife
always go to the polls together on election day. Before leaving the
house, I would say to her, "Honey, I'd like to ask for your vote."
"Tom," she would reply, "I'll give you every consideration."
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN
one or chan
Great
1991
91 JUN -3 AM11:45
m.
hit
TWO
TIP.TS
PRESIDENTIAL VIDEO: TIP O'NEILL 50TH ANNIVERSARY
ROOM 459
TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 1991
Millie, Tip: When I found out from your children that you'd
be celebrating your 50th anniversary with all your family and
friends, I just had to be a part of it. After all, it's still hard
to say "no" to an O'Neill.
A lot of people don't realize how much Tip and I have in
common, even though we served on opposite sides of the aisle.
We're both from Massachusetts. We both love to fish and golf.
(Tip, I'm still waiting for you to join me in a round of speed
golf.) And, of course, we both married women who are much too
good for us. It's an understatement to say that Barbara and I have
great respect for Tip and that we love Millie. We even named our
dog after her.
You know, early in life, the Speaker made a tragic mistake.
If he had become a Republican early on, he really could have
amounted to a lot. His innate compassion could have shown up more.
His kind and gentle nature would have been received much more
warmly in the board rooms of the Fortune 500 and around the
Newpons,
Back Bay cocktail circuit.
As you know, he didn't do that. He went on to rally the
Democratic Party. And look at the guy: He only became one of the
greatest Speakers in the history of our country. me
Most people still associate Tip and with the times we sat
behind President Reagan during the State of the Union Address.
What most people don't realize is how much grief those appearances
caused me. Every time, Tip would crack jokes or try to start a
conversation, I'd try to cut him off. Yet after every speech
E get bawled I the one who'd get bawled out.
I'd get a call from my mother, saying, "stop talking to Tip and
listen to the President." \ Thanks a lot, Tip. 11
I'd like to close with Tip's favorite story: the one about
Mrs. O'Brien -- the high school teacher who taught him the most
important political lesson of his life. The night before his first
election to Congress, Mrs. O'Brien told Tip, "I'm going to vote for
you, even though you didn't ask." Tip was shocked. "I've lived
across the street from you for 18 years. I didn't think I had to."
11 "Tom," she said, "Let me tell you something about politics.
People like to be asked."
I'm sure everyone's heard that story before. But maybe you
didn't know that just before going to the polls together, Tip would
always ask Millie for her vote. And Millie always gave him the
same answer: "Tom, I'll give you every consideration." III
Tip may have been the guy in Congress, but Millie is the real
speaker of the house. 11
To you, Tip and to Millie, we Bushes send our respects, our
warmest best wishes, and our love. Congratulations on this very
special day. May God bless you both.
# # #
WHATEVER BROUGHT You TO TEXAS?
27
I pointed out that as a candidate, I was expected to tell voters
something about my qualifications. She thought about that a mo-
ment, then reluctantly conceded. "Well, I understand that," she
said, "but try to restrain yourself."
Even after I became Vice President, Mother called to set me
straight on my appearance during one of the President's televised
State of the Union messages. She said it didn't look right for me to
be reading something while President Reagan was speaking. When
I explained that House Speaker "Tip" O'Neill and I were given
advance copies of the speech in order to follow the President's
remarks, she was less than persuaded. "I really can't see why that's
necessary," she said. "Just listen and you'll find out what he has to
say."
Sometimes Mother is more subtle in her suggestions about my
deportment as Vice President. "George, I've noticed how thought-
ful President Reagan is to Nancy," she once called to say. "I've
never seen him climb off a plane ahead of her or walk ahead of her.
He's so thoughtful!" I got the message.
But Mother's criticism of her children, like Dad's, was always
constructive, not negative. They were our biggest boosters, always
there when we needed them. They believed in an old-fashioned
way of bringing up a family-generous measures of both love and
discipline. Religious teaching was also part of our home life. Each
morning, as we gathered at the breakfast table, Mother or Dad read
a Bible lesson to us. Our family is Episcopalian, and we regularly
attended Sunday services at Christ Church in Greenwich.
We were a close, happy family, and never closer or happier
than when we crammed into the station wagon each summer-five
kids, two dogs, with Mother driving-to visit Walker's Point in
Kennebunkport, Maine. It was named after my grandfather,
George Herbert Walker, and his father, David, who had bought it
E300
79
B81
WH
LOOKING
FORWARD
George Bush
with Victor Gold
2)
Doubleday
NEW YORK
1987