Sal & Deval: Suddenly Like an Episode of 24

In yesterday’s installment of As the State House Turns, Gov. Deval Patrick scored a rare political victory against frenemy and House Speaker Sal DiMasi by canceling a contract that was awarded in a rushed bidding process. Never one to take a defeat lying down, DiMasi came back with a vengeance and attacked Patrick where he’s weakest—casinos.

And this time, it’s personal.

That’s what an anonymous source told the Globe after meeting with DiMasi about the governor’s casino proposal, which is losing supporters because of pressure from the speaker.

“It’s trying to convince you, ‘I’m right, the governor’s wrong, and we really want your vote,’ ” said the representative, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was private. “I thought it was going to be on substance, talk about the pros and cons. But it’s been made pretty clear that it’s more than that.”

“He doesn’t do this very often, so you know when he does it’s personal,” the representative added.

It’s like when Jack Bauer beats the crap out of a terrorist—he’s doing it for his country, but you can sense there’s some deep personal satisfaction in watching his enemy suffer. Hopefully today’s hearings on the advantages of casinos doesn’t end in fisticuffs.

Wait, check that — hopefully it does.