Barack Obama “Formerly of Somerville” Calls Gov. Patrick's Final Radio Show

Show is hosted by Margery Eagan and Jim Braude, who is also host of NECN's "Broadside"

Gov. Deval Patrick has fielded hundreds of calls during his monthly "Ask the Governor" radio show. But this one was different.

"Uh, Governor, this is Barack Obama, formerly of Somerville," one caller said Thursday. The president was indeed calling in to the show on WGBH-FM to congratulate Patrick, a friend and political ally who's wrapping up two terms in office.

Obama, who lived in the Boston suburb of Somerville while attending Harvard Law School, joked that he was calling with a  "few complaints about service in and around the neighborhood" before praising the outgoing governor for his work. 

"I want to find out how it is that you got Massachusetts so strong and moving in the right direction," he said. 

Patrick, the state's first black governor, at first seemed unconvinced that it was really Obama on the phone. That didn't stop him from poking fun right back at the president.

"Mr. President, you know I love you, but you still have trouble saying Massachusetts. You know that don't you?" he said.

Obama said he wanted to call to let his "dear friend know how proud I am," citing the state's performance on jobs, schools, health care access and baseball  — "I should mention, the Red Sox have won a couple of time" —during Patrick's tenure 

"Deval, you done good man," he said. 

"I didn't realize it was happening and I thought it might be an imposter at first. But when he mispronounced Massachusetts, I knew that was my guy," Patrick told NECN.

Host Jim Braude, for his part, was in on the gag. It was his idea, and according to him, it took some considerable political and apolitical movement to pull it off.

"At some point, he said something like 'Jim and Margery, thanks for having me on,' and the two of us look at each other like we've died and gone to heaven, like little kids. It's the president calling in to your radio show," he said.

It was Patrick's final radio show. He leaves office on Jan. 8.

The show is hosted by Margery Eagan and Braude, who is also the host of NECN's "Broadside."

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