President to dine with Mass. Gov. Patrick, stoking Cabinet speculation

President Obama will host Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and his wife, Diane, for dinner at the White House on Friday, fanning speculation that the longtime Obama friend could be in line for a Cabinet position in the president's second term.

The Patricks plan to stay at the White House overnight, following the meal described by a White House aide as "social."

Patrick has been rumored as a potential choice for Attorney General, if Eric Holder decides to step aside. Patrick served in the Justice Department under President Clinton.

Holder said Thursday he was still weighing whether to return for a second term during a speech to law students at the University of Baltimore School of Law.

According to the report, the attorney general said he still needed to consult with the president and his family before making a decision on a second term. And, Holder said, he needed to ask himself, "Do I have some gas left in the tank?"

Earlier this year, Patrick looked to downplay speculation about a potential appointment to either the president's Cabinet or the Supreme Court at a meeting with business leaders in Boston.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Patrick said, according to the Boston Herald.

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