—By Domani Spero
On June 21, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Denise Bauer as the next Ambassador to Belgium. The WH released the following brief bio:

Denise Bauer is Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Belvedere Community Foundation in Belvedere, California.  Ms. Bauer was Finance Chair for Women for Obama from 2011 to 2012, and served on the Obama for America National Finance Committee from 2011 to 2012 and from 2007 to 2008.  From 2008 to 2012, she served on the Democratic National Committee, serving as Chair and Co-chair of the Women’s Leadership Forum and as Co-chair of the National Issues Conference.  Prior to this, Ms. Bauer worked in television news and public affairs.  From 1993 to 1994, she was a Public Affairs Officer for the American Red Cross Bay Area in San Francisco.  From 1990 to 1992, she was a freelance film and video producer in Los Angeles, and from 1988 to 1990, she was the News Producer for the North American Bureau of Nine Network Australia in Los Angeles.  She began her career in television in 1985 as a Field Producer and Researcher for KCBS-TV News in Los Angeles.

Ms. Bauer received a B.A. from Occidental College.

According to www.barackobama.com, Ms. Bauer is one of the fundraisers who bundled $500,000+ for the Obama campaign in 2012.

The Center for Public Integrity notes that the actual amount Ms. Bauer  raised could be much higher as the Obama campaign only used broad ranges to describe the activities of its bundlers, the highest of which was “more than $500,000.” She’s considered one of the top ten bundlers for President Obama in the 2012 campaign.

The NYT’s list of Obama Top Fund-Raisers in September 2012 listed Ms. Bauer as a homemaker from Belvedere Tiburon, California who raised a total of $4,367,187 since 2007.

If confirmed by the Senate, Ms. Bauer would replace Ambassador Howard Gutman. According to OpenSecrets.org, Ambassador Gutman was one of the two dozen major campaign bundlers who became ambassadors following the 2008 election.  The outgoing ambassador raised at least $775,000 for President Obama’s 2008 campaign and first inauguration.  The new nominee announced raised almost six times that amount for President Obama’s reelection campaign which may or may not mean anything for the 2016 bundlers who wants Belgium.

(.-.)

Related item:
June 21, 2013 | President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

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