Obama planning Boston fundraising stop in March

President Barack Obama is planning a fundraising visit to Boston in March, as Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick announced he's forming a federal political action committee to help pay for his political support for Obama and the national Democratic Party.

Former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent out an e-mail on Friday announcing Obama will join Democratic leaders for dinner in Boston on March 8.

The event is planned for the city's newly refurbished Museum of Fine Arts, according to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's website, which lists the price of the dinner starting at $5,000 per person.

The announcement came as Patrick revealed his plans to form a federal PAC.

The director of Patrick's state political committee said the governor decided to form the PAC to help coordinate and finance his activities on behalf of the national Democratic Party.

Patrick is being tapped as a possible champion for Obama on the campaign trail.

"In a year marked by deep divisions in our political discourse, Gov. Patrick won re-election with a positive campaign about our shared values," David O'Brien, who will be the director of the PAC, said in a statement. "Our state's economy, schools and health care system are the envy of the nation, so the governor has a very good story to tell."

In her e-mail, Pelosi described the event as "an unforgettable evening with President Obama and leading Democrats from across America."

"It is critical that we show the world how strongly we support President Obama's bold vision to encourage innovation and invest in America's future," she wrote.

Pelosi also faulted Republicans for pushing what she called a divisive agenda that will compromise the economic security of the middle class.

The e-mail includes a solicitation for $5 or more for a chance to win a trip to the Boston event and join her at the dinner. Democratic members of the state's congressional delegation are also expected to attend.

"We love when the president comes," said Massachusetts Democratic Party John Walsh.

Obama's fundraising visit comes amid increasing talk of Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick playing a more prominent national role in Obama's re-election campaign.

In recent weeks Patrick has traveled out of state to meet with two top Democratic operatives, including Obama political adviser David Axelrod in Chicago and Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine in Washington.

Patrick, a friend of Obama, ran a successful re-election campaign last year during a tough election cycle for Democrats nationally.

The two also share Chicago roots and political advisers, including Axelrod who helped Patrick win his first bid for office in 2006.

Obama's last high profile visit to Massachusetts was back in October when he attended a campaign rally with Patrick during the closing weeks of Patrick's re-election bid.

During the rally, the president said that when he's backstage at some political rallies, he's busy checking his BlackBerry.

"But when Deval speaks, I listen," he said to laughter.