Deval Patrick has been a bit critical of Governor Mitt Romney not spending much time in the state in an apparent bid to run for president in 2008, and help elect Republicans across the country. While you can take your stabs at Romney for not staying in the Commonwealth much--who can blame him--at least he's honest about it. Deval Patrick, on the other hand, attended a fund-raiser in New York what was not on his "public schedule."

In a sign that Patrick may be getting ready to follow in Romney's footsteps, the Democratic nominee attended a New York fund-raiser Friday morning with Eliot Spitzer, the Democratic nominee for governor in that state.

Patrick spokeswoman Libby DeVecchi said Patrick rarely puts fund-raisers on his public schedule.

In this case, the pro-Patrick Blue Mass Group website reported on the fund-raiser, which apparently was held at the Harvard Club in Manhattan. Along with money from the fund-raiser, Patrick brought back a new joke: "I thought the polls in Massachusetts were good news until I sat down to breakfast with Eliot Spitzer and he told me about his 50-point lead."

Romney, meantime, was in Iowa this weekend. The trip was noted on his public schedule.

Interesting behavior for a candidate who asked that Kerry Healey be "candid with people." Perhaps it's time that Deval Patrick start being "candid with people."