Mass. Gov. focused on his job, not Supreme Court

BOSTON (AP) _ Gov. Deval Patrick says he's “120 percent'' focused on being governor and replacing retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter is not in his plans.

Yet the governor would not rule out interest in a possible Supreme Court appointment on Thursday. The first-term Democrat is a fellow Chicagoan, Harvard Law School graduate and African-American, like President Barack Obama.

Patrick says he's focused on his current job through next year.

But asked if that's different from saying he's not interested in an appointment, the governor will only say he wants to do his current job.

Pictured above is Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick.