When outgoing Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts began the final WGBH-FM radio call-in show of his tenure, he probably didn’t expect to hear a tongue-in-cheek complaint from a former resident – who now happens to be the leader of the free world.
Patrick, who has routinely done the “Ask the Governor” show during his eight years at the state’s helm, was surprised to discover that a caller “formerly of Somerville” was actually President Barack Obama, who called in to congratulate his pal, with a little ribbing first.
“I’ve got a few complaints about service in and around the neighborhood," Obama deadpanned. "But I’ve moved down south since that time."
Obama lived in the area when he was a student at Harvard Law School.
The president went on to praise Patrick for his tenure as governor, saying “Deval, you've done good, man."
Patrick, who at first didn’t believe that the caller on the line wasn’t an impersonator, poked fun at Obama for his pronunciation of his home state’s name.
“There's a little lisp thing that develops when I say Massachusetts," the president admitted. "I can spell it, though."