Although politicians are known for having a knack for publicly saying all the right things, at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on the South End on the day of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, all bets are off.

Insults and jokes rolled off the tongues off distinguished Massachusetts politicians Sunday morning at the annual St. Patrick’s Day brunch preceding the parade, a Boston tradition for over 50 years. The brunch gives local and state politicians the chance to cut loose and poke fun at each other without the typical fear of creating political enemies.

The gubernatorial race and Gov. Mitt Romney’s expected run for the presidency after his announcement to not run for a second term as governor were hot roast topics, introduced in a poem read by Senate President Robert Travaglini (D-Boston).

Travaglini’s humbled attempts at lyrical verse extended into this year’s gubernatorial race, taking jabs at the candidates.

“Mihos, of course, when Mitt takes a hike, he’s the worst thing to come down the Pike,” Travaglini joked, referring to candidate Christy Mihos’s staunch opposition to toll increases during his employment as a Massachusetts Turnpike Authority board member.

Suffolk County Sheriff Andrea Cabral sang an original song entitled “Beverly Heal Bills,” poking fun at the $2.5 million value of Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey’s Beverly house.

Healey’s wealth was a source of so many jokes during the brunch that she even took a swipe at herself.

“You have to define yourself,” Healey said. “How I define myself is: I’m the richest power-hungry woman not married to John Kerry.”

Romney joked about Healey’s changing political views by commenting that one of his first projects will be to meet with people who do not share the same views as him, and Healey will be the first person he plans to meet with.

Romney comically proposed books he would give as parting gifts to Massachusetts politicians upon his departure from the governor’s office, such as “The Botox Diaries” for John Kerry whose presidential candidacy was marked with — among other things — accusations that he had received botox injections.

U.S. Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-MA) chided Menino’s public campaign to address issues of increasing violence in Boston.

“We had an arrest in the projects, an elderly woman, 78 years old, for selling marijuana, and Menino responded at the press conference saying, ‘Where are parents?’ Lynch said.

Each year, one of the main attractions of the St. Patrick’s Day brunch is the politicians’ ability to make fun of their own shortcomings — especially those that have been the source of media scrutiny.

Deval Patrick ended the breakfast with an appeal to Massachusetts citizens to vote for him, citing recent speculation about his inability to fund his campaign.

“If you’ve read [the newspaper], I need the job,” Patrick said. “I’ve got mortgages to pay.”