The senator from Illinois said he usually gives credit when quoting people or using ideas, and insists he and Patrick are friends, ABC News reported Monday.

"Deval and I do talk ideas all the time," Obama said.

Obama then commented on party nomination rival Sen. Hillary Clinton, suggesting the New York senator uses his words without his approval.

"Senator Clinton has used mine as well," Obama said

The Clinton campaign, during a conference call Monday, noted the similarities between Obama's speech during the weekend and Patrick's speech in 2006.

"The power of his rhetoric has been much discussed," Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said of Obama. "So when we learned that he has taken an important section of a speech from another elected official, it raises questions about the premise of his candidacy."

Obama's campaign countered that Clinton uses Obama's phraseology without his permission, citing "Fired up and ready to go," "Bring our country together," "Yes we can," "We've got to turn the page on George Bush and Dick Cheney," and "Turn the page."