Three days into the partial government shutdown the icy relationship between the Democratic President and Republican House Speaker is on full display.
In the early 1980s, the reverse was true. Republican Ronald Reagan was president, the GOP held a majority in the Senate, and the House was led by Massachusetts Democrat Tip O’Neill. Despite deep ideological differences, the two leaders kept up the appearance of camaraderie.
The unusually cordial relationship between O’Neill and Reagan is the subject of a new book by MSNBC host Chris Matthews, who served as O'Neill's administrative aid. The title – Tip and the Gipper: When Politics Worked– seems particularly resonant now. After all, can you imagine President Obama saying this to Speaker Boehner?
Emily Rooney sat down with Matthews on Thursday in the WGBH Newsroom to talk about his book and the government shutdown.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9AheY-3Kuk&feature=youtu.be
