(Washington, DC)  --  Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is stepping down as national co-chair of the Mitt Romney campaign to become a bank lobbyist.  The Financial Services Roundtable tweeted this morning  that Pawlenty will become its new president and C-E-O November 1st.  The lobbying group says Pawlenty resigned from the Republican presidential ticket because the Financial Services Roundtable is a non-partisan organization.  Pawlenty was an early rival of Romney and often mentioned as a potential running mate before Romney chose Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan.