Gov. Patrick, looking at the front door.

Sen. John McCain has had to deal with liberal, Republican former governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney; now Sen. Barack Obama has the current liberal Democrat governor of Massachusetts to deal with.

Gov. Deval Patrick, who early in the primary season spurned his former mentor Bill Clinton and endorsed Obama for the Democrat nomination, is seeking to raise his national profile on Obama's coattails in hopes of a prime position in his administration, say Massachusetts Democrat advisers.

"If he can get a senior post in an Obama administration, he'll take it," says one state party political consultant. "Half of Patrick's state administration is raising money so that they can run to fill his seat."

Patrick has publicly denied an interest in leaving a job he has held for a comparatively brief period of time. And it's -- to say the least -- a remote possibility that he would be in line for a vice presidential nod, as he had some of his advisers touting several months ago.

Patrick, though, will be front and center with Obama on campaign stops and fundraising events, though the governor's track record is one that Obama probably wants to run away from.

UPDATE: More from the Globe and Herald.

SECOND UPDATE: More from the MetroWest Daily News, Globe and Herald.

THIRD UPDATE: More from Michael Graham, the AP, the Herald and Globe.