Coleman won’t challenge Steele for RNC chair

Former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman says he won't challenge Michael Steele for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee if Steele decides he wants to seek a second term.

In an interview with the St. Paul Pioneer Press' Jason Hoppen, Coleman says he doesn't want to disrespect Steele. "I don't think he's gotten credit for the work he's done bringing the tea party and Republican Party together," Coleman says. "I'm not going to be out there knocking down the chair."

Asked if he would seek the job if Steele chose not to run again, Coleman wouldn't say. "It's a hypothetical," Coleman said. "If he's out, it's a different circumstance."

The comments mark something of a reversal for Coleman, who openly flirted with the RNC job over the summer. The former Minnesota senator -- who now chairs the American Action Network, part of what critics call the "shadow GOP" — went so far as to schedule a trip to the RNC's summer meeting in August, though he canceled at the last minute after warnings that his politicking might prompt a backlash among RNC members.

For his part, Steele has been silent as calls mount for him to step aside before the 2012 campaign. The embattled RNC chair initially hinted he would seek a second term as GOP chair, but has recently been noncommittal as his list of challengers expands.

Among those who have declared their interest in the job: former RNC Political Director Gentry Collins, former Michigan GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis and former RNC member Ann Wagner, who just officially kicked off her run Monday in a video message to supporters.

"We must start immediately to erase past debt and to restore the confidence of our donor base," Wagner says in the video, a direct reference to one of the biggest complaints about Steele's tenure: fundraising. "We must have these resources in order to take back the White House and complete the job that was started this year. Fundraising must come first. We also must have greater transparency and accountability when it comes to the RNC's budget and expenditures."

You can watch the video here:

It's unclear how long Steele will remain quiet about his future plans. With a vote two months away, the embattled GOP chairman has been working to shore up support among RNC members in the states. But the Associated Press' Phil Elliott finds that Steele is quickly losing support among RNC members who will actually decide who will lead the party during the 2012 campaign.

"The question is who should be hired for the next two years. It's not a matter of firing anybody," James Bopp, a committee member from Indiana, tells AP. "I just don't think Steele has performed at the level we need for the presidential cycle."

(Photo of Coleman: Paul Sancya/AP)