Ex-Coleman staffers dish on 'Capitol Hell'

Two ex-staffers in the office of former Sen. Norm Coleman are dishing it up in a somewhat semi-autobiographical (but still fictional) book about life on the Hill in Washington. The title tells is all: Capitol Hell. Hitting bookstands in September, the book tells the story of recent college graduate "Allison Amundson," a small town girl from South Dakota who lands a job in the office of fictional Senator Anders McDermott III of Minnesota. We'll let the promo blurb pick up the story from here: Allison soon realizes her co-workers consist of a Chief of Staff who has little to no control over the antics in the office, a Press Secretary who is not only pompous, but who is constantly primping and preening, and worst of all the Senator himself, who cares more about his rise to fame than the people of Minnesota. To be sure, it's a fictional tale marketed as a take on "'real-life' experiences of what it is like to be a young staffer working on Capitol Hill." To quote the subtitle: No one ever said life on the Hill is easy. The authors are Alicia Long (Coleman receptionist/scheduler 2003-05), and Jayne Jones, (Coleman caseworker/legislative assistant 2003-06). Biographical congruities include Long's upbringing in Hartford, S.D., and work history with Coleman, as well as with South Dakota Sen. John Thune and Virginia Sen. George Allen. Long is now an attorney living in Alexandria, Va. Jones also went on to become an attorney after leaving life the Hill, working in the Minnesota Legislature and running her own consulting firm. She also can be found dishing on political science at Concordia University.