"Third Rail" and Kirk O'Donnell

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Fred Shapiro might want to follow this up for his quotations dictionary. A simple e-mail to Boston College's John J. Burns Library might do it.


TIP O'NEILL AND THE DEMOCRATIC CENTURY
by John Aloysius Farrell
Boston: Little, Brown and Company
2001


Pg. 581:
"The Republicans will never trust the Democrats again on Social Security. It was made clear to them, indelibly and lastingly, that this is the third rail and if you touch it you get burned. It will never be anything other now, because nobody will ever trust each other again, and that was almost totally Tip's doing," said Lud Ashley.(8)

Pg. 693
ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE NOTES
ONBC--Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. papers, Boston College
RRL--Ronald Reagan Library

Pg. 738 (Notes):
8. Newt Gingrich, O'Donnell, Ashley interviews; O'Donnell "Memorandum: Political Agenda for House Democrats," Aug. 4, 1981, ONBC; Richard Wirthlin to Richard Richards, July 29, 31, 1981, RRL; Pepper to O'Neill, July 14, 1981, ONBC.



http://www.bc.edu/libraries/centers/burns/resources/collections/congressional/#oneill

O'Neill, Thomas P.

Title: Thomas P. O'Neill Papers, 1936-1994 (bulk 1953-1986).
Description: 428.25 linear ft.
Arrangement: Organized into seven series: Personal/Office Files; Staff Files; Legislative Files; Grants/Projects/Subject Files; Party Leadership/Administrative Files; Press Relations; and Audiovisual Materials.
Finding aids: Finding aid available.
Summary: Composed of correspondence, publications, photographs, audio tapes, videocassettes, artifacts, newspaper clippings, and scrapbooks. Most of the material relates to O'Neill's career in Congress, and documents his views on such issues as the Vietnam War, Watergate, and relations with Ireland. Also includes papers of O'Neill's staff, files of Democratic Committees, and some letters of late twentieth century presidents.
Biog/Hist Note: Congressman from Massachusetts. O'Neill was born in North Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1912, and attended Boston College. From 1936 to 1952 he served in the State Legislature, and from 1953 to 1986 he was a member of the United States House of Representatives. O'Neill served as Speaker of the House from 1977 to 1986. A loyal Democrat and proud Irish-American, he actively supported human rights issues. He died in 1994.