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Ronald Reagan: PROUD to Be Irish!
Reaganite Republican ^
| 17 March 2014
| Reaganite Republican
Posted on 03/17/2014 10:12:21 AM PDT by Reaganite Republican
As House Speaker for 6/8 of the Reagan years, bombastic spendaholic
Tip O'Neill was one of the fiercest opponents of the Gipper's entire agenda, fighting it tooth-and-nail to the end. He even called Reagan a 'cheerleader for selfishness' and went so far as to personally attack him as 'most ignorant man that has ever inhabited the White House'.
Not one to be easily outwitted -but showing considerably more class and good humor- Reagan observed parallels between the blobular O'Neill and the then-trendy Pac-Man video game, as 'a round thing that gobbles up money'.
Yet despite the professional animosity, Reagan often said the two were 'friends after 6pm'... and both plenty proud of their shared Celtic Irish heritage. In fact, the Saint Patrick's Day Speaker's Luncheon -apparently cancelled this year- has been a tradition initially established by Reagan and O'Neill back in 1983...
Despite being fierce opponents during the day, the two grew to be friends.
One story goes how President Reagan would call Speaker ONeill and say, 'Hey Tip, is it 6 oclock yet?' in which Speaker ONeill would reply, 'Why yes it is Mr. President.'
After the work day had ended, the two were known to have gone and shared a few drinks together at local DC establishments.
(pic)
On March 17, 1983, Speaker Tip ONeill, President Ronald Reagan and Minority Leader Bob Michel celebrated the first Speakers St. Pattys Day luncheon after Reagan and ONeill had suggested doing a luncheon together to celebrate their Irish heritage on St. Patricks Day.
Originally held in H-209 of the Capitol building, then the Speakers office, the event has since moved to the Rayburn Room in the House side of the Capitol.
By Reagan's final Saint Patrick's Day in office -1988- Tip O'Neill had retired from the House of Representatives, so he headed over to Alexandria for a surprise visit to Pat Troy's Irish Pub...
And the Gipper was in fine form: after a cold brew and some corned-beef-and-cabbage, he takes the mike at 4:00... besides the jokes, be sure to note the allegedly 'ignorant' Reagan's extensive knowledge of Irish history and culture:
'I'm very leery of ethnic jokes in my position- the only ones I can tell are Irish!'
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So may the road rise to meet ya...
A happy and blessed Saint Pat's to all you lasses and laddies from the
half-Irish, all-Catholic Reaganite Republican
TOPICS: Government; History; Politics; Society
KEYWORDS: irish; oneill; reagan; stpattys
To: AdvisorB; ken5050; sten; paythefiddler; gattaca; bayliving; SeminoleCounty; chesley; Vendome; ...
To: Reaganite Republican
Thanks and same to you RR!
3
posted on
03/17/2014 10:17:52 AM PDT
by
capydick
(''Life's tough.......it's even tougher if you're stupid.'')
To: Reaganite Republican
It wasn’t just any cold brew. It was BALLANTINE ALE. And I’ll be having one in five hours.
4
posted on
03/17/2014 10:18:31 AM PDT
by
massgopguy
(I owe everything to George Bailey)
To: Reaganite Republican
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all.
5
posted on
03/17/2014 10:37:20 AM PDT
by
kitkat
(STORM THE HEAVENS WITH PRAYERS FOR OUR COUNTRY.)
To: capydick
To: massgopguy
To: capydick
8
posted on
03/17/2014 10:51:21 AM PDT
by
MUDDOG
To: Reaganite Republican
A very funny St. Patrick’s Day toast from President Reagan:
“Well, Seamus Wright, Ill keep this brief. On St. Patrick’s Day, you should spend time with saints and scholars, so of course, you know, I have two more stops I have to make.”
— Ronald Reagan, 03/17/1988, in a toast at a St Patricks Day luncheon hosted by House Speaker Jim Wright
To: Reaganite Republican
People like President Reagan made it OK for people with names like mine to be Republicans.
10
posted on
03/17/2014 11:21:14 AM PDT
by
Darren McCarty
(Abortion - legalized murder for convenience)
To: Reaganite Republican
Love Reagan!!!
I’m of French and Irish heritage, which means I have to surrender my whiskey.
11
posted on
03/17/2014 11:35:20 AM PDT
by
dragonblustar
( Psalm 103, Psalm 37:7, Ephesians 6:12)
To: Reaganite Republican
Saint Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland. Tip O’Niell was one of them.
To: Reaganite Republican
Reagan was a GREAT actor. He was never “friends” with the loathsome, execrable baby-killer O’Neill.
To: Arthur McGowan
They played cards together.
14
posted on
03/17/2014 12:37:12 PM PDT
by
spel_grammer_an_punct_polise
(What we need is to sucker the fedthugs into a "Tiananmen Square"-like incident on the National Mall!)
To: spel_grammer_an_punct_polise
Of course. Reagan had people skills.
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