Coleman as RNC chairman?

The state canvassing board is expected to name Al Franken the winner of the U.S. Senate contest when it convenes this afternoon. This milestone, however, will almost certainly not mark the final chapter in the never-ending recount. Norm Coleman’s campaign has stated that it will contest the result in court, arguing that various improprieties — wrongly rejected absentee ballots, double-counted ballots and lost ballots — have tainted the process.

But the likelihood of an election contest in either state or federal court has not deterred speculation on Coleman’s next move if he ultimately is defeated. The Washington Post reports today that one (unnamed) “well-connected GOP operative” said that Coleman is being mentioned as a possible chairman of the Republican National Committee.

There are currently at least six contenders for the RNC post, including current chair Robert “Mike” Duncan, former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell and South Carolina chairman Katon Dawson. Coleman would bring a couple of attractive attributes: an established track record as a prolific fundraiser and geographical diversity to a party increasingly dominated by the south.