He has nothing better to do

Obama phones Boston radio show and identifies himself as a caller 'formerly of Somerville'

Interesting, he can find the time to make a meaningless phone call to a radio talk show… but it was simply to much trouble placing a call to the Mexican president choosing instead to allow Tahmooressi to rot 214 days in a Mexican prison.

----------------------------------------------------------------

By Matthew Blake for MailOnline

When Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick sits down to field calls on his monthly Boston Public Radio phone in, he usually expects to be the most powerful person on the phone.

But then he got a call from an altogether unexpected guest. 

'Uh, Governor, this is Barack Obama, formerly of Somerville,' the mysterious caller told BPR's Ask The Governor. 'I've got a few complaints about service in and around the neighborhood, but I've moved down South since that time...'

At first, a somewhat bewildered Gov. Patrick assumed it was a hoax, responding: 'You're kidding, Mr. President. Who is this impersonator? You're very good. Who is this really?'

Surprise: Gov. Patrick (left) was fielding calls from listeners when a mystery guest turned out to be President Barack Obama wishing him well after life as Massachusetts' governor

But within a few moments, he realised it was in fact the real President of the United States of America, referring to the Boston suburb where Mr Obama lived while studying law at Harvard University.

It brought a humorous end to Gov. Patrick's tenure as head of the executive branch of Massachusetts' state government, a position he will leave in the new year. 

For the past eight years, Patrick has joined Jim Braude and Margery Eagan on the radio each month to field calls from listeners. And yesterday's show was his final chance to bid his supporters farewell.

During the call, Mr Obama went on to wish him well upon leaving his post, telling him: 'I want to find out how it is that you got Massachusetts so strong and moving in the right direction.'

THE PRESIDENT'S ON THE PHONE: HOW THE CONVERSATION BEGAN

Barack Obama: 'Hello?'

Jim Braude: 'Hello, sir. Yes, you're on with Gov. Deval Patrick.'

Barack Obama: 'Uh, Governor, this is Barack Obama, formerly of Somerville. I've got a few complaints about service in and around the neighborhood, but I've moved down South since that time...'

Deval Patrick: 'You're kidding, Mr. President. Who is this impersonator? You're very good. Who is this really?'

Barack Obama: 'I want to find out how it is that you got Massachusetts so strong and moving in the right direction.'

Deval Patrick: 'Mr. President, you know I love you, but you still have trouble saying Massachusetts. You know that don't you?'

Barack Obama: 'You know, there's a little lisp thing that develops when I say Massachusetts.I know how to spell it, though.'

(He learned how to spell it right after he found out there are 57 states)

Deval Patrick: 'Indeed you do. And you know where it is. You've been a great friend to all of us. Thank you.'

He went on to tell him: 'I just wanted to call in and let my dear friend know how proud I am. Deval, you've done good, man.'

The conversation turned to Patrick's achievements, as Mr Obama lauded an increased health care access, student education, clean energy, and even the Boston Red Sox's two championships under Gov. Patrick's governorship.

'Should I take credit for that, too?' Patrick said.

'You started with an outstanding state, but you have burnished it and polished it and, most importantly, you have gotten people involved,' the president said.

The governor said those words meant a lot to him. The state's first black governor, Patrick himself has been mentioned as a possible future White House contender, though he has ruled out a bid in 2016.

The hosts didn't let Obama off unscathed, though.

'Mr. President, you paid all those parking tickets in Somerville, correct?' referring to 17 parking tickets Obama received when he lived in Cambridge and Somerville while attending Harvard Law School.

'I think I had to before I took office,' Mr Obama replied. 'Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to step into the Commonwealth without being arrested.' 

He has nothing better to do