Patrick rips Bush in commencement speech

GARDNER -- In his first commencement address of his administration, Governor Deval Patrick called for civic engagement yesterday, while delivering a broadside against Bush administration policies.

Patrick's exhortation appeared to resonate with many of the 656 students graduating from Mount Wachusett Community College and their families, who gave him a long standing ovation.

Patrick was on firm ground with his message at the school, which stresses service learning as part of its curriculum for future nurses, technicians, and teachers.

"The willingness to face down passion and fear with reason and courage -- and to speak truth to power -- is the hallmark of the active citizen," Patrick told the graduates and several hundred guests lined up in folding chairs in a school gymnasium. "It represents a deep and honorable tradition in our country."

Without naming President Bush or members of his administration, Patrick took aim at their response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, saying that in its wake, the nation has been governed by fear.

Patrick said fear "drove us to round up people of Arab descent, many of them American citizens, and to hold hundreds without cause or charge." Fear also led to the Iraq war, the Patriot Act, and "the greatest aggregation of presidential power in much of our history," he said.

Patrick also lashed out at the gun lobby for resisting restrictions on the purchase of firearms and at opponents of gay marriage.

"There was a groundswell of opposition drummed up by the fear that this private freedom represented a threat to everyone else's marriage," he said. "Several years and many marriages later, the institution of marriage has thankfully survived. But the fear- mongering persists, and so have efforts to amend the state constitution in a manner that would, for the first time in our history, take away civil rights."

Patrick used the platform to attack the telephone company, which he said was using pleas about dire consequences instead of reasoned argument. The phone company, he said, has threatened to raise rates in response to his administration's attempt to get it to pay property taxes.

"The division, cynicism, and pessimism emanating from all over the political spectrum and from all sectors of society in recent years have challenged our hope," he said.

Patrick told the graduates to "reclaim American ideals and refresh our commitment to honor them."

The college's president, Daniel M. Asquino, praised Patrick for rearranging his schedule to make the commencement address. Asquino said he has always admired the governor for his professionalism during the primary, his passion during the gubernatorial election, and for his innovative energy and enthusiasm.

Kimberly B. Caisse , the college's public relations specialist, said students were honored to have Patrick as their speaker. The last time a statewide figure spoke to the school's graduates was in 2004, when Martha Coakley, then Middlesex district attorney delivered the commencement address.

Not all students and parents were enamored of Patrick's spee ch.

Michael Connor of Rindge, N.H., said he thought Patrick should have addressed the students. "He was making a political statement," Connor said. "It should have been more about the students."

Connor's daughter, Erica, who received an associate's degree in dental hygiene, said that she agreed with her father, but that she appreciated the governor's appearance.

"It was nice of [Patrick] to come to our college, because we're not big or well known," she said.

Brandy O'Rourke, 28 , who received an associate's degree in practical nursing, said she thought the governor had a political agenda. "It was a campaign speech," she said.

Sarai Manzira, 40 , of Leominster, whose wife, Lucy, received a nursing degree, said that while he thought Patrick might have touched on too many subjects, he was pleased that he spoke of civil rights. "His message appears to me to be fighting for rights," Manzira said. "The battle has not been won."

Connie Paige can be reached at cpaige@globe.com.