Sal & Deval: It’s Time for the Makeup Legislation

Things have been difficult for House Speaker Sal DiMasi and Gov. Deval Patrick. Much like the loudmouth friend who can’t mind her own business, the New York Times told the world about the problems between the two men on today’s front page.

But Sal and Deval are trying to make the relationship work for the children the Commonwealth. This afternoon, Sal, Deval, and Senate President Therese Murray put on their happy faces and proposed some transportation reforms.

It’s like when you overhear your parents fighting and they blame it on stress at work. Except DiMasi blames the media.

“The papers are used to put forth a twist or a bent on something,” DiMasi said. “And sometimes that’s not reality. The reality is I’m working with the governor. We’re working very closely with the governor on (transportation), (the $1 billion) life sciences proposal and all of the other issues.”

Oh Sal. We didn’t know you cared.

Patrick prefers to act like there isn’t a problem.

“There are a whole host of initiatives we have worked on and continue to work on successfully,” Patrick said. “We had a sharp (difference) over the resort casino proposal … but it was a difference. It doesn’t mean that good work doesn’t get done.”

Poor Therese Murray was stuck in the middle, talking about the matter at hand. Oh right, the legislation.

At long last, the government is taking a shot at reducing the use of police details at construction sites and making the benefits package at the MBTA more reasonable. Patrick even hinted that his proposal to combine the T, the Turnpike Authority, and Massport into a mega-quasi-public agency is nearly complete.

We hope the two men can work together as well as they say they can. Taking on the police and MBTA unions will certainly test a relationship.