Norm Coleman: Forgotten But Not Gone

[Geee]

Weekly Standard:

The names of those involved are quite familiar: Karl Rove, Ed Gillespie, Norm Coleman. But the tactics these conservative insiders are using are different. They are slowly trying to catch up to the left—by using its techniques as their own.


“As a candidate in ’08, I was stunned by the stuff that was being thrown at me,” former Minnesota senator Norm Coleman says of his electoral loss to Al Franken two-years-ago. “Trial lawyers, environmental groups, labor—they were all smacking me on the same stuff. But we didn’t do that on the right. We did this cycle.”

Coleman is quietly completing his first election cycle not running for political office or holding an elected office in over 15 years, but he’s maintained a very strong behind-the-scenes presence in Washington.

Through his groups American Action Network and its cousin American Action Forum, which he started in February and which total less than 10 staff members, Coleman has raised $30 million. With that money, he was able to be involved in 28 House races (supporting 18 winners) and five Senate contests (where they supported 3 winners), as well as run issue advocacy programs here in Washington.

“The nature of politics really, I think, is in a transformational stage with third parties,” Coleman says. “The ability of third party groups to be able to coordinate amongst themselves, to be supportive of both conservative principles and ultimately conservative candidates—I think it represents a profound shift.”