Cadillac Deval -- it gets worse

... and to think it once appeared limited to a couple chopper rides.

Then came the news that new Bay State governor Deval Patrick wanted a leased Cadillac DeVille for his official vehicle, instead of the mundane Crown Vic used by Mitt Romney.

Then came the news that Patrick's administration had hired a $72,000-a-year staffer - a major fundraiser in Patrick's campaign, go figure - to handle the trickle of media calls and event scheduling needed for Patrick's wife.

Next comes the lead story in today's Boston Globe under this headline - "Patrick to repay taxpayers for decor: $10,000 spent for drapes; governor to offset car costs."

"Governor Deval L. Patrick spent more than $10,000 on damask drapes for his State House office as part of a $27,387 makeover that also included a new desk, settee, and other furnishings paid for with taxpayer money," write Globe reporters Frank Phillips and Andrea Estes. "Yesterday, after an inquiry from the Globe, Patrick abruptly announced that he would repay the state for the draperies and furnishings."

"At the same time, Patrick said he would contribute $543 each month to the lease of the Cadillac DTS he uses for state business," Phillips and Estes write, "bringing the cost to the public in line with the more modest Ford Crown Victoria used by Gov. Mitt Romney."

The story quotes Patrick as saying, "I realize I cannot in good conscience ask the agencies to make those choices without being willing to make them myself."

And who knows, maybe Patrick would have come to this decision without that annoying inquiry from the Globe -- after all, together we can!