All politics in D.C. is now "loco," former Speaker Tip O’Neill might have said this week

Somewhere, Thomas 'Tip' O'Neill is rubbing his eyes in disbelief at the shenanigans on the floor.

The Boston Irish politician ruled the roost as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987.

He ruled with an iron fist but also a velvet paw, a man who knew how to get legislation through the House come what may, like any good Boston pol might do.

He served five consecutive terms, more consecutive terms than any previous or present Speakers.

Kevin McCarthy served nine months before being ousted this week, the first time in American history that the House has voted to remove a sitting Speaker.

O’Neill knew when to threaten, when to cajole, when to reach across the aisle, and do America great service.

He and President Reagan from the GOP used to meet up frequently after Congress had gone home for the day. They mostly cracked Irish jokes and told tall tales, Reagan drawing from his Hollywood past, O’Neill from the streets of Boston and his neighborhood once known as “Old Dublin.”

In between the laughs, they got lots of business done.

You could never miss O’Neill, a man of impressive bulk, a shock of white hair, and an Irish face that could have arrived from Ireland a day or two before.

Jimmy Breslin, the great New York columnist, once remarked about O’Neill: “It is hard to imagine someone that fat has anything to do with history."

But he did, like when he turned on President Johnson and called for the US to leave Vietnam. He was one of the first to tell Nixon to resign after Watergate.

One can only guess what he would think of his beloved House today.

What would he make of fellow Irish American Kevin McCarthy for allowing a rule that the most nondescript, hopeless, hapless idiotic member of his party could force him into an election by just challenging his leadership every day if he wanted to.

A man who agrees to such a pact is a true amadán, as the Irish say, feckless and foolish and certain to fall at the first fence.

And fall he did, seeking to blame everyone but himself for his failure. 

Now we have chaos and confusion with politicians who brought down the Speaker so useless they should all wear signs saying ‘Kick me I’m Stupid.'

Tip O’Neill coined the phrase "all politics is local." With the madness now ensuing, perhaps that saying should be changed to “all politics is loco [crazy].” That’s how it seems now.

The GOP should take their greatest politician Abe Lincoln’s advice to hand, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Amen.