US ambassador to Sweden steps down -- Matthew Barzun to head Obama re-election finance team

Companies - Published Sunday, 01 May 2011 19:08 | Author: Johan Nylander

US ambassador to Sweden steps down -- Matthew Barzun to head Obama re-election finance team

Obama taps ambassador to Sweden as finance chair.

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U.S. President Barack Obama has tapped a top fundraiser now serving as ambassador to Sweden to be his 2012 campaign finance chairman, AP said.

Matthew Barzun, who was named ambassador to Sweden in 2009, will take the post held by Chicago businesswoman Penny Pritzker in Obama's 2008 campaign.

Matthew Barzun's statement on his blog:

"Two years ago, President Obama asked me to serve in this great and globally connected nation of Sweden because I understood and believed in his vision for America and its role in the world. All of us at U.S. Embassy Stockholm have worked hard together to carry that out, expressing to Swedes that America doesn’t seek to command respect through power but to earn it through leadership and friendship. In a variety of ways, including this blog, we have sought to connect with citizens throughout Sweden in a direct and personal way.

But now President Obama has asked me to take on a new mission. He is seeking reelection and has asked me to help steer that effort by serving as Chair of his National Finance Committee. I am honored to be asked to serve in this new capacity, and am accepting the president’s call. However, because of the nature of American presidential elections, it means I will have to leave this post all too soon -- at the end of May.

The president sent me to Sweden with one word of advice: “Listen.” That’s what I have tried to do. I have been traveling throughout the country since I arrived, listening and learning. From Sweden’s leadership in sustainability and clean energy to its deep sense of international responsibility, as we have seen most recently in Libya, to the sense of balance embedded in the Swedish national character, I have soaked it all up and become forever enriched.

Brooke, our children, and I have lived a Swedish life together here – one that will always be precious in our memories. At the same time, we look forward to continuing the wonderful relationships we’ve forged with the many Swedes we count as friends. As we move on to the next mission, Sweden comes along as part of who we are. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts".

Last Updated (Sunday, 01 May 2011 19:21)

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US ambassador to Sweden steps down -- Matthew Barzun to head Obama re-election finance team

Obama taps ambassador to Sweden as finance chair.

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