Changes

He is most famous both for being one of the longest serving Speakers and as a highly influential leader of the liberal Democrats in Congress in the days of [[Ronald Reagan]]. He served as Congressman from Cambridge and the Boston suburbs, 1953-87. [[File:Tiponeill.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]

He is most famous both for being one of the longest serving Speakers and as a highly influential leader of the liberal Democrats in Congress in the days of [[Ronald Reagan]]. He served as Congressman from Cambridge and the Boston suburbs, 1953-87. [[File:Tiponeill.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]

==Career==

==Career==

O'Neill came from a working class Catholic Irish family, and always stayed cloe to his roots in the neighborhoods. He greaduated from Boston College in 1936 and immediately plunged into state politics with election to the legislature. After a 16-year career in the state legislature, O'Neill was elected to replace [[John F. Kennedy]] in Congress when Kennedy moved to the Senate in 1952. O'Neill was an astute backstage politician who was famous for negotiating deals in general, with little interest in any specific programs.  

O'Neill came from a working class [[Catholic Irish]] family, and always stayed cloe to his roots in the neighborhoods. He greaduated from Boston College in 1936 and immediately plunged into state politics with election to the legislature. After a 16-year career in the state legislature, O'Neill was elected to replace [[John F. Kennedy]] in Congress when Kennedy moved to the Senate in 1952. O'Neill was an astute backstage politician who was famous for negotiating deals in general, with little interest in any specific programs.

 

==Leader==

==Leader==

He moved up the ladder rapidly, with appointment to the Rules Committee, election to the #3 position among House Democrats as Majority Whip (1971-73) in a coalition with [[Hale Boggs]]. When Boggs died in a plne crach O'Neill was elected Majority Leader (the #2 position), 1973-77. With the retirement of [[Carl Albert]] he became Speaker (the #1 job) in 1977, serving ten years until he retired in 1986. He was an effective party leader, holding tighter reins than the two previous Speakers, Albert and John W. McCormack.

He moved up the ladder rapidly, with appointment to the Rules Committee, election to the #3 position among House Democrats as Majority Whip (1971-73) in a coalition with [[Hale Boggs]]. When Boggs died in a plne crach O'Neill was elected Majority Leader (the #2 position), 1973-77. With the retirement of [[Carl Albert]] he became Speaker (the #1 job) in 1977, serving ten years until he retired in 1986. He was an effective party leader, holding tighter reins than the two previous Speakers, Albert and John W. McCormack.