Former Sen. Norm Coleman: “There is No Effort to Replace Michael Steele”

ABC News’ Devin Dwyer reports: Rebutting weeks of speculation that he might be eyeing a bid to take over as chair of the Republican National Committee, former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman said on ABC News/Washington Post “Top Line” today that “there is no effort to replace Michael Steele” ahead of the November elections. “The pundits can talk about the leadership of the RNC, they can talk about fundraising, a whole group of things, but the bottom line is we’re all working together,” he said. “I’m working with Chairman Steele. We’re going to have a very good November if we stay focused on issues such as the economy, national debt and health care.” Coleman stopped short of ruling out a bid after the midterms when the party will pick its leader in January 2011. “We’re looking at November 2010,” Coleman said when pressed on the issue.  Steele has not indicated whether he will seek another term. Since losing his reelection bid to Democrat Sen. Al Franken in 2008, Coleman founded the conservative political group American Action Network, where he now serves as CEO.  The group has spent more than $1 million so far this election cycle supporting campaigns of Republican candidates, including Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Coleman said Murkowski’s defeat to Tea Party-backed Joe Miller in the primary left him “very much surprised.”  But he said he’s confident the tea party’s next target, Delaware GOP congressman Mike Castle, can fend off a challenge from Christine O’Donnell on Sept. 14. “There is great anger about government spending and government debt, as there should be, and the Tea Party has capitalized on that,” Coleman said. “For Republicans, this is not necessarily a bad thing… The bottom line is Democratic incumbents are in serious trouble looking to November.” What does he think of a possible “Senate Majority Leader” Mitch McConnell? “Mitch has been an incredibly effective leader… Look at the cohesiveness of the Republican Party on issues such as health care,” he said.  But would McConnell be able to keep the party in lockstep with a number of tea party-backed, establishment-bucking candidates in the herd? “It’ll be challenging, but the fact that we’re even talking about him now is stunning,” he said. -Devin Dwyer