Beacon Hill honeymooners

YOU CAN almost feel the love on Beacon Hill. Almost.

Governor-elect Deval Patrick's honeymoon is underway. How long will it last?

Republicans warn about a "gang of three" that will work swiftly to increase spending and taxes. But Senate President Robert Travaglini and House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi are used to a different management model on Beacon Hill. It's called two's company, three's a crowd.

Travaglini and DiMasi are a comfortable, establishment Democratic two some. They are used to dealing from a position of strength with a Republican governor. The governor-elect won as a Democrat, but he's an outsider to the process.

If Patrick can't change business on Beacon Hill, he disappoints and ultimately fails. That puts him at odds with legislative leaders, who are used to conducting business as they please, give or take a Melanie's Law or capital gains tax refund.

Facing the press after a Monday meeting with Travaglini and DiMasi, Patrick said, "I'm not going to talk about substance," when asked what the three discussed. In that spirit, he revealed no details of their conversation and stuck with the general kumbaya goals of his campaign, such as team-building.

But sooner or later, Patrick will have to go beyond the "sweet nothings" that opponent Christy Mihos aptly described during one debate. Sooner or later, his priorities will bump up against legislative priorities. Sooner or later, Travaglini and DiMasi will test the depth of Patrick's popularity against their parallel universe -- the power base that resides in a state Legislature they are used to controlling.

There's no question, Patrick begins with the people behind him. He won by a landslide, and his campaign boasted 20,000 volunteers on Election Day alone. Divide that by 40 Senate districts, and you average some 500 Patrick supporters in each. That grassroots support isn't going anywhere soon, and individual legislators will feel its tug and Internet connection.

But a natural tension always exists between executive and legislative branches, even when Democrats control both. "It will cleave in the following way," explains Representative Michael Festa of Melrose, one of Patrick's original legislative supporters. "There is a sincere effort to start off on the right foot. But there is no question, Democrats in both bodies are going to see another place to go to express their concerns."

In other words, with a Democrat back in the governor's office, legislative "back-benchers" and others will run to the executive branch if their proposals are shut down by the House or Senate leadership. Meanwhile, the new governor will work to carve out his own legislative base of support, creating the potential for an end-run around the leadership.

After winning election, Patrick said he planned to ask the Legislature for $120 million to add 1,000 police officers and begin expanding full-day kindergarten across the state. He also said he might call for additional state aid to help cities and towns eliminate school-activity fees.

Patrick's first budget represents "a strange and brave new world" for legislators used to ignoring the budgets proposed by Republican governors, said Festa. "He will be producing a document that has been looked at as a doorstop and will have to be taken more seriously."

At the same time, Patrick will have to find the middle ground between "rubber stamp" and foil.

"Right now, there's a lot of hugging and kissing . . . The hard reality starts coming with the budget," said Secretary of State William Galvin.

A first test involves the $425 million emergency state funding freeze implemented by Governor Mitt Romney. Romney's cuts eliminated money for human service providers as well as for programs for the young, elderly, and homeless. They were blasted by Mayor Thomas Menino, who represents another piece of the political puzzle confronting Patrick.

After the meeting with Travaglini and DiMasi, Patrick said he made no commitments to restore any of the $425 million in spending cuts, saying, "I'm informed not just by the math, but by the impact on real people's lives."

Again, those are nice words -- "poetry" as Grace Ross, the Green-Rainbow party candidate, labeled Patrick's rhetoric during the campaign. But at some point, Patrick must make choices that involve money, not verse.

Travaglini and DiMasi would do Patrick a favor if they came back into session before the year ends and dealt with these cuts. If they don't, the cuts clearly become Patrick's problem.

It's too soon to label this new chapter on Beacon Hill a love story.

Joan Vennochi's e-mail address is vennochi@globe.com.