UPDATED Former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman has been quietly gauging support for a potential run for chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Coleman, who lost his re-election bid to Al Franken (D) by the slimmest of margins, has been meeting in private with "multiple high-level GOP officials" in the past month, Politico reports.
Politico's Jonathan Martin sought comment from Coleman about his potential interest in the job -- now held by embattled RNC chief Michael Steele -- but the Minnesota Republican declined to offer specifics.
"My focus is on the 2010 elections," Coleman wrote in an e-mail message. "We have a huge opportunity to stop the Democrats' out-of-control spending and losing the opportunity would be devastating for the country."
Since the election, Coleman has led the American Action Network, a conservative political action committee. The group has targeted Florida Senate candidate Gov. Charlie Crist, releasing ads in the Tampa and panhandle areas against the Republican-turned-Independent contender.
As for Coleman's possible interest in the top spot at the RNC, the former senator may offer more clues about his intentions during his planned trip to the RNC's summer meeting next month. Several potential contenders to replace the gaffe-prone Steele have already surfaced, including Jeb Bush, Tim Pawlenty and even Sarah Palin.
See who's on the short-list of potential contenders for the RNC chairmanship:
