Chris Coleman: aiming higher than mayor?

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman has made no secret he's interested in a run for governor next year. Of course, right now he's campaigning for re-election to his current job.

Today Coleman announced he's hired a high-powered team for his re-election effort with lots of statewide and national experience. The team is so high-powered, in fact, you have to wonder if he's looking beyond this November.

Coleman said he's hired Mandy Grunwald as a media consultant. Grunwald worked for Bill Clinton as he ran for president and for Minnesota Democrats, including Amy Klobuchar, Al Franken and Paul Wellstone.

The other new members of the mayor's team are pollster Diane Feldman and new-media consultant Jon-David Schlough.

Feldman has polled for Franken, Rep. Keith Ellison, the House DFL Caucus and Paul Wellstone. Schlough also worked for Franken before founding his own interactive-media firm,Well and Lighthouse LLC of Washington, D.C.

All this for a campaign in sleepy St. Paul? You can take a look at some of what Coleman is getting for the money he's spending by looking at the new Web site his campaign unveiled today.

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