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CONGRESSMEN DUMPED TRANSOCEAN STOCK IN OIL SPILL AFTERMATH: Several congressmen were eager to sever all ties with the companies responsible for one of the biggest environmental disasters in the nation’s history.

OpenSecrets Blog previously reported that high-ranking members of congress dumped their BP assets in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill last year. And another analysis of personal financial disclosure documents released last week shows that many also divested their stocks for Transocean, the company that owned the Deepwater Horizon oil platform that BP operated.

At least five congressmen who in 2009 reported owning Transocean stock sold all of their Transocean assets in 2010, the Center for Responsive Politics’s analysis indicates.

Rep. David Phillip Roe (R-Tenn.), who in 2009 had more than $32,000 invested in Transocean, sold all of his Transocean stock during several transactions last year. Reps. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.), Connie Mack (R-Fla.) and Michael Turner (R-Ohio) are others who no longer have the Transocean assets they reported in 2009.

Another three members of Congress, Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), and Reps. Kenny Marchant (R-Texas) and Michael McCaul (R-Texas), who owned Transocean assets in 2009, have filed extensions for disclosing their finances. Whether they sold or kept their Transocean assets won’t be known until later in the summer.

Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.), however, who was among those lawmakers with the most significant investments in the company in 2009, kept all of his Transocean assets. These holdings are are valued between $15,001 and $50,000. (Members of Congress are only required to disclose the values of their assets in broad ranges.)

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) and Rep. Stephen Cohen (D-Tenn.), who owned less significant investments, held on to their Transocean assets as well.

ALEC BALDWIN — A POTENTIAL WEINER REPLACEMENT? Rep. Anthony Weiner’s scandal may have warmed up New York’s 9th Congressional District for some more time in the spotlight.

Media outlets, including the New York Times, have jokingly suggested that 30 Rock star Alec Baldwin, known for also being a big contributor to Democrat candidates, should run for the seat in the upcoming special election.

Based on his past contributions, however, it’s clear that Baldwin’s involvement in politics is no joke. The actor-comedian said earlier this year that he was “very interested” in a political run.

Since the 1992 election cycle, Baldwin has contributed nearly $152,000 to federal-level political candidates or committees, the Center for Responsive Politics’ research indicates.

All together, Baldwin has donated $500 or more to 30 different federal-level candidates, and doled out $30,500 to the Democratic Party of New York, $22,500 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and $20,100 to the Democratic National Committee, OpenSecrets Blog previously reported.

Baldwin is well known for his political activism and support for the Democratic Party. Earlier this year, he was rumored to replace Keith Olbermann on MSNBC’s “Countdown,” although no such move occurred.

60 PLUS ASSOCATION LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN: A conservative senior citizen advocacy group is spending $1.4 million on a new national ad campaign in support of a Medicare reform proposal by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).

The 30-second ad was scheduled to air June 17 on national cable channels. It will also run in broadcast markets in Florida and Ohio.

“The Democrats and Obama are destroying Medicare,” said Jim Martin, chairman of the 60 Plus Association in a press release. “It’s time to put an end to their ‘mediscare’ tactics. The reality is that Medicare in its current form is going to bankrupt our nation — we must either reform the program or watch it die.”

During the 2010 election cycle, the 60 Plus Association spent about $6.7 million in federal-level independent expenditures, the Center calculates. These ads expressly advocated against federal Democratic candidates ahead of the November midterm election. An additional $397,800 was spent on advertisements legally known as “electioneering communications,” which did not expressly advocate for candidates but rather mentioned federal candidates in the context of issue ads.

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