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Friday, January 28, 2022

Netroots – Progressive Punch

I finished up the morning today by attending a discussion called “Staying on Top of Congress’ Shenanigans.”  How could I resist that one?  It turned out to be a tutorial on using a webiste called “Progressive Punch.”  It’s probably something you can figure out yourself by just jumping in and clicking around.  It seems to be organized fairly well, and is extremely informative.  It looks at the voting records of all members of the House and Senate, and scores based on a curve how your representatives rate in terms of their support for progressive causes.  Clicking on embedded links brings you to more and more detailed information about particular bills.  Searches can be done by district, category and subcategory.  You could get lost in there, and have fun doing it.

We learned in the class that Alaska’s lone congressman Don Young has a progressive score, on a scale of 0-100 of….. drumroll please!…. 15.08!  Unfortunately this does not surprise me.

A look at the entire Alaskan delegation’s scores elicited this comment from the developer of the site, “Mark Begich is really standing out against those other two shmedricks from Alaska.”  Noting his use of Yiddish, he said, “You don’t even have to know what that means to know what that means.”   About 200 of the 250 votes taken this year are entered in to the database as of now.

You can entertain yourself with the shenanigans of your own shmedricks HERE.

Comments

comments

Comments
57 Responses to “Netroots – Progressive Punch”
  1. Chad Lupkes says:

    I’ve been using this site for a few years now. Looks like the NN09 presentation made it so popular it crashed. I get the header and sidebar, but not the content.

  2. Bones AK says:

    sure wish I typed better

  3. Bones AK says:

    AK
    Senate Begich (D) 90.24, Murkowski (R) 17.09

    House Young (R) 11.24

    Nubers speak for themselves.

  4. schoolpsyc says:

    The word is actually schmendrick with an “n”.
    It means “stupid person,” and originated in 1944, from the name of a character in an operetta by Avrom Goldfaden (1840-1908), “Father of Yiddish Theater.”

  5. PepperzMom (GA) says:

    41 Ebbtide Says: August 14th, 2009 at 8:08 AM

    OK, now I know why I’m so depressed:

    DeMint–3.0 (#99 out of 100)
    Graham–7.99 (#80)

    I’m next door – yep, I can see your state from…well, somewhere it’s to the east of me – and GA’s senators are even worse when combined!

    Chambliss 3.99
    Isakson 4.12

  6. PepperzMom (GA) says:

    HELP!

    Here’s the results of where I live in GA….
    D. Scott (D) Chambliss (R) Isakson (R)
    All issues 84.76 3.99 4.12

    And for many of the categories – The “R” fellas scored 0 – as in nada, zilch!

    Yikes! I need to move.

    PS: Yes, Scott is the rep who had the Nazi treatment to his Smyrna office (spray painted his signage)

  7. Zyxomma says:

    My house critter (she’s no schmeNdrick, either) is Carolyn Maloney, who’s at just over 90% (my senators are the same as Lilady, etc.). She’s great on the environment, unions, co-sponsored the single-payer House bill, good on housing (a crucial issue here in NYC where we pay the most for the least). For a member of congress, she’s all right in my book. Kudos to Shannyn, and thanks, AKM, for keeping us informed. Howard Dean was here for a town hall at Hunter College a few weeks ago; it was great. He urged us to tell our reps to vote “no” if there’s no public option. As an uninsured (though very healthy) person, I must agree.

  8. leenie17 says:

    LiladyNY –
    I always found it fascinating how the NYC metro area, while overall a rather liberal region, had pockets of staunch conservatism, especially on LI. I grew up in New Hyde Park which, back in the 60s and 70s, was pretty much all-white, conservative and very Catholic (lots of Irish and Italian). Curtains were twitching all up and down my street when I showed up with my date for the senior prom…who was Chinese!

    It always amazed me how, back in the 80s, the republican party in Nassau County had sooo much control over civil service jobs, which are SUPPOSED to be non-partisan. In my agency, you couldn’t get a voluntary lateral transfer unless it was approved by the local committeman! It got a whole lot better after I left 11 years ago but I imagine there are still a lot of areas (including the ones you mention on SI) that are glowing red in a sea of blue!

    It really saddens me to see how divided this country has become in the past decade. I hope that the hard work of the wonderful progressive bloggers can help set things back on a more moderate and collaborative path.

    And Ruby – thanks for the correction. I don’t hear much Yiddish anymore but I thought they were missing an ‘n’ in schmendrick!

  9. mlaiuppa says:

    note: I believe it’s Schmendrick. (also shmendrek or shmendrik) fool; a jerk. “stupid person,” 1944, from Yiddish shmendrik, from the name of a character in an operetta by Avrom Goldfaden (1840-1908), “Father of Yiddish Theater.”

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shmendrik

    * Schmendrick is the name of a magician in The Last Unicorn.
    * The term Schmendrik was introduced by Ron Palillo to millions of household television viewers in the character Horshak of the sitcom series Welcome Back Kotter.

  10. LiladyNY says:

    My friend has a band named The Schmendricks. LOL And they’re good!
    Shmendrik is Yiddish for goofy (loosely translated).

  11. Claw Washout Palin says:

    The Republicans aren’t very progressive. They don’t seem to realize that you need change to grow.

  12. Ebbtide says:

    Nan, thanks for the sympathy. Add in our governor, Sanfraud and you can see why SC is doing so well. And they’re all so firmly entrenched, it’s ridiculous. The “democrat” who ran against Graham last year was a former Repbublican committee member who had to change parties and was actually more conservative than Graham.

  13. Ruby Re-Usable says:

    The word is schmendrick (with an “N”, NOT “shmedrick”).

  14. Nan (aka roswellborn) says:

    Oh, Ebbtide
    I’m sorry! Even Missouri is doing better than that:

    CLay @ 92 +
    McCaskill 91+
    Bond 08.

    Going from memory since I got sidetracked (sorry)
    Nan

  15. Ebbtide says:

    OK, now I know why I’m so depressed:

    DeMint–3.0 (#99 out of 100)
    Graham–7.99 (#80)
    Brown–6.86 (tied for #412 in the house)

    So very sad–Brown and DeMint are having a “town hall” next week–you have to sign up through the Republican party (theeenx but no theenx), and it’s a luncheon town hall (how democratic), so you have to pay to hear their rants.

  16. LiladyNY says:

    #38 leenie17 Says:
    August 14th, 2009 at 6:58 AM

    LiladyNY Says:
    My New York Critters:
    McMahon, Michael (House – D) 88.13
    Gillibrand, Kirsten (Sen – D) 97.37
    Schumer, Charles (Sen – D) 92.91
    ~~~~~~~~~~

    Western NY is much redder than LI, especially in the suburbs…my Rep is Christopher Lee who is only at 17.87. He’s new and doesn’t have much of a record yet, but the stats so far are not promising. The republicans who are elected here tend to be more middle of the road, but it’s made me realize just how blue I really am!
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    I’m in Staten Island which is a bit more red than blue. I’m on the North Shore of the island and we are more closely aligned philosophically and politically with Manhattan. The South Shore is extremely xenophobic, extremely white, extremely Christian and extremely conservative. My friend, who is a “person of color” refers to it as “deepest darkest Staten Island – a very scary place”. Unfortunately, it is. Most of the incidents involving hate crimes emanate from there. Pitiful.

  17. Shadow's Heart says:

    I’m proud of my Congress Critters with Lautenburg at 96 and Mendenz who I really, really like at 98 and our House Critter Holt at 92.
    I really like that site, lots of information and it shows where their proprieties lie and what is important to them.

  18. leenie17 says:

    LiladyNY Says:
    My New York Critters:
    McMahon, Michael (House – D) 88.13
    Gillibrand, Kirsten (Sen – D) 97.37
    Schumer, Charles (Sen – D) 92.91
    ~~~~~~~~~~

    Western NY is much redder than LI, especially in the suburbs…my Rep is Christopher Lee who is only at 17.87. He’s new and doesn’t have much of a record yet, but the stats so far are not promising. The republicans who are elected here tend to be more middle of the road, but it’s made me realize just how blue I really am!

  19. Nan (aka roswellborn) says:

    well, it’s still Netroots, MonaLisa. That’s terrific!

  20. MonaLisa IS MY NAME! says:

    OT, but breaking news: Shannyn Moore is the winner of this year’s ‘Gilly’, the Steve Gilliam Grant for Journalism!!

  21. MonaLisa IS MY NAME! says:

    Droopy Dawg (aka Joe Lieberman) got a surprisingly high 79.09.

    His lowest scores were in ‘War and Peace’, with a 43.1

  22. Polly says:

    @SameOld Says- Oh that gives me goose bumps. Shannyn got recognition! She deserves an award….she faced off SP for the blogger nation. She invented “buttercup” – “Sue me buttercup.”

  23. the problem child says:

    My Rep, Andre Carson (D, District 7) gets a near-perfect 98.6, but he hasn’t been in for long… Lugar (R IN) 14.82, Bayh (D IN) a disappointing 77.16.

  24. SameOld says:

    Shannyn just won an award at Netroots

  25. karen marie says:

    Thanks for the link to Progressive Punch, AKM.

    I feel like I’ve gotten my first souvenir from Pittsburgh.

  26. Nan (aka roswellborn) says:

    Closet Mudpup
    that “our 6K-year-old earth doesn’t need us to protect it ‘cuz god will do that for us” argument always makes me think of the story of the man who gave talents (money) to three of his servants.

    One took the money and made a pile more, another took it and made a little bit of money. The third took it, hid it, and was criticized by his master for not even attempting any investment at all.

    So what have *we* done with the assets given us? We’ve trashed the neighborhood, pillaged the earth to the point that some of it is now poison and pretty much used it up on garbage. I wonder how that will go over with “the Boss,” that we didn’t even care enough about the gifts that we just laid waste to it all.

    That’s the question I’d really like to ask ’em.

  27. Leota2 says:

    Yeah!
    In my Ohio district we have . . . .
    Senator Sherrod Brown (D) at 98.11
    Congressman Tim Ryan(D) at 91.22.

    Boo!
    We also have . . .
    Senator George Voinivich (R) at 18.96
    But Voinivich is retiring. I can forgive him a very tiny bit, and I mean a very
    very tiny bit because he voted for Sotomayor as he was on the way
    out the door anyway. Not much integrity there, though.

    Our Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, who I believe is speaking at Netroots is my choice for Voinivich’s spot. Here’s hoping. Ohio needs more progressives!

  28. pvazwindy says:

    Kyl-3.88%
    McCain-14.54%
    Kirkpatrick-73.30%

    Kirkpatrick, big step up from former money laundering rep, Renzi.

    Gramiam, our two senators, pretty pathectic, isn’t it.
    Good luck Monday, hope your voice is heard.

    Rich

  29. Closet Mudpup says:

    Gramiam – That sounds wonderful – I’m envious. I will be stuck in Tucson hoping all goes well for you.
    **************************************
    Here in Arizona, I feel very fortunate to be represented by Congressman Raul Grijalva (D). He was rumored to be on the short list for Interior Sec’y and, while I believe he would have been very good in that role, I’m grateful he’s still in the House. Progressive Punch rates him 98.36 overall, and 100 in the categories of Education/Humanities/Arts, Family Planning, Health Care, Housing, and Labor Rights. His lowest rankings, Justice and War/Peace, are 97.56.

    To put Raul’s scores in perspective against some of our AZ Republicans: McCain – 14.54, Jon Kyl – 3.88, Flake – 7.71, Shadegg – 3.31, and Franks – 1.95.

    Napolitano’s departure left the Repubs in charge, and it’s been depressing to watch the results. Education was their first budget target – $90M in cuts there; in a state that is traditionally among the lowest-ranked – a sad legacy that Napolitano had fought to change. Over 40% of our State legs have no post-secondary education, and twice recently environmental debates included arguments that our 6K-year-old earth doesn’t need us to protect it ‘cuz god will do that for us. I can’t shake the thought that I now know what the run-up to the Dark Ages must have been like. Perhaps on their own mission from god, Interior stepped in and shut down exploration on Uranium mining claims adjacent to the Grand Canyon.

  30. Plummet says:

    My Congress critters are doing great too

    Maffei, Daniel (NY25 – D) = 93.44
    Gillibrand, Kirsten (NY Sen – D) = 97.37
    Schumer, Charles (NY Sen – D) = 92.91

    Oh to be in Pittsburgh now that summer is here

  31. weaver57 says:

    Well, AKM, I think I thank you for this site. Kind of embarrassing. Our two Kentucky Reb. Senators:
    Jim Bunning (R) 3.20
    Mitch McConnell (R) 4.22
    Representatives:
    Ben Chandler (D) 83.87
    Geoff Davis (R) 83.87
    Brett Guthrie (R) 17.80
    Hal Rogers (R) 7.86
    Ed Whitfield (R) 9.97
    John Yarmouth (D) 95.68
    Not very good representation. Have bookmarked this site.

  32. LiladyNY says:

    Oops, sorry. I’ll take it over to the Open Thread. I’m so angry at the moment I can’t see straight.

  33. overthemoon says:

    NOTE TO ALL:

    I signed up on Sarah Palin’s Facebook page because I like to get information at the source rather than filtered through news channels. I posted a couple of comments, not inflammatory, and seem to have been blocked from making any further contributions to the regulated swill of adoration.

    I see a number of other people trying to do the same. She is getting, I think, an inflated count of ‘supporters’. If you have also joined there, please consider removing your name from her list of ‘friends’ so we don’t contribute to her vanity! Share this with others that you think may have the courage to visit that site!!

  34. LiladyNY says:

    I have just become a fan of Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, and have posted this message on his Wall:

    “Dear Mark Zuckerberg, Since Facebook is designed to be a SOCIAL networking site, do you consider it appropriate that ex-Governor Sarah Palin, is using it as a platform for a partisan political referendum? I do not and would like someone to tell her to take her views to a more appropriate venue. Thank you.”

    If any Mudflatters are on Facebook, perhaps you could send a similar message? I am very offended that she or whoever is pulling her strings is using Facebook in this manner and I think we need to speak up about it.

  35. GA Peach a/k/a Lance the Boil aka Crust Scramble says:

    Jack Kingston R-GA 5.88. Geez……

  36. samper says:

    My critters from MI are doing just great!

    Sander Levin: 88.59
    Carl Levin: 93.51
    Debbie Stabenow: 91.43

    SOOOOO mad that MR. Samper got in the way of seeing Clinton, Shanny and AKM yesterday!!!!!!!!

    Well… not THAT mad, I guess. I was about due for “life affirming activity”. Released alot of pent up frustration and tension. 😉

  37. greatgrammy1 says:

    Did anybody watch Keith or Rachel last night? They both happily pointed out that in April 2008 Sarah the flip-flopper pleaded for the same cause in the proposed health reform for senior counseling that she now calls the “death panel”. I’m surprised that none of the Alaskan bloggers picked up on that. This should have been a MSM issue.

  38. Snoskred says:

    Guys there is still an open thread from yesterday which is available here –

    https://themudflats.net/2009/08/12/open-thread-from-30000-feet/

    AKM said she would be posting open threads in the morning PA time, I think – until there is a new one for today please use the current one – and keep this one on topic. 😉

    Thanks!
    Snoskred

  39. winkwink says:

    Sorry no open thread-hope your all having a great, informative time at Netroots!!

  40. winkwink says:

    I don’t know about anyone else, but at this time, since SP read the whole bill, I want to see Obama and the pitbull up on stage debating the healthcare issue, I really believe that would be the end of her. I’m sick of her hiding behind facebook and someone else writing all her messages, I want a 1 on 1….moderators could be someone from Fox and KO or Rachel.

  41. LiladyNY says:

    My New York Critters:
    McMahon, Michael (House – D) 88.13
    Gillibrand, Kirsten (Sen – D) 97.37
    Schumer, Charles (Sen – D) 92.91

    Well, nothing to be ashamed of here (whew). I am loving Gillibrand more and more. I see a very rosy future for her. My guys are very good about responding to concerns and requests, and I appreciate that. Just don’t get me started about our STATE idiots!

    Thank you AKM for your report. What you are doing is fascinating and enriching for us.

  42. Gramiam says:

    I thought John McCain was bad…and he is at 14.54%, but Jon Kyl is 3.88 %!!! What a piece of work he is. Happily for me, my Congressvarmint, Ed Pastor is at 88.59 %. That man walks on water compared to the Senators!!

    Wish me luck on Monday. President Obama is addressing a closed session of the VFW Convention at the Phoenix Convention Center. We have organized a March to the Center in solidarity with the President. Our signs will let him know we support Health Care Reform. PO and family will depart afterward to return to Washington. The Grand Canyon visit is on Sunday.

  43. HamletsMill says:

    Pittsburgh AKMudstock 2009

    Sunday, August 16th, 2009 – 1PM – Pittsburgh, PA

    AKM IS HERE in Pittsburgh!!

    AKMudstock IS ON!

    If you cannot make it, all Mudpuppies EVERYWHERE worldwide will be with us in Spirit!!!

    Please note that we have extended the RSVP deadline to FRIDAY EVENING AUGUST 14th for any last minute Mudpuppies on the SURGE! There is still time to RSVP!

    RSVP by this Friday evening to: HamletsMillMudFlats (at) gmail (dot) com

    As I have posted, there is also now a PRE-AKMudstock gathering scheduled for SATURDAY NIGHT AUGUST 15th at 7PM or when you get there for those in town by Saturday night! Details are now on the below UPDATE thread link!

    CHECK HERE FOR THE LATEST UPDATE INFORMATION:
    https://themudflats.net/forum/index.php/topic,7283.msg75900.html#msg75900

    Blessings upon all Mudpuppies everywhere!

    This is the final notice about sending an RSVP to attend. But if anyone still wants to come at the last minute, both are public events in public places and you can just come in on your own. You just might not be able to get a meal with the group and will have to get your meal on your own as a public patron!

    But, by all means still feel free to come, to meet AKM at Pittsburgh AKMudstock 2009 and all the Mudpuppies coming in from eight states and the District of Columbia.

    See you there!

  44. 264 crayons says:

    sp must be coated with teflon, eh? the judge rules using personal emails is not illegal. that’s the MAGIC of laws – they can be interpreted for or against your favor. sorry for off topic – i don’t see on open thread!

  45. pvazwindy says:

    This wonderful site (Mudflats,) will be even better, if you can imagine that. In a few days AKM will be back, fully energized, and ready to lead the charge. Change is coming. I can hardly wait.

  46. tigerwine says:

    Neat link, AKM. But now I’m in a deep funk! You see, my Reps are Broun, Chambliss and Isaacson. Waaah, I want to change those Senators for Snowe and Collins (lady senators from Maine).

  47. seattlefan says:

    @lemonfair:

    You are indeed in a warm cocoon of progressisisvm. (is that a word?….if not we should make it one).

    You are lucky you don’t have any schmedricks. 🙂

  48. lemonfair says:

    I used that search engine that AKM mentions to search for my rep (Welch) and two senators (Sanders and Leahy),and their numbers (drum roll please) are 96.17, 96.95, 92.48. Surprise, surprise. On the one hand, that obviously means that Vermont is a warm cocoon of progressivism, (our current governor excepted), but it also means that it’s hard to know sometimes what else to do. No need to influence the reps. (but we do have a bit of a fight between the Democrats and the Progressives, which results in the Republican being elected governor. I’m not particularly happy with the progressives for this.)

    Howard Dean, by the way, was not seen as a liberal governor here in Vermont, and when he ran for his first term (after become governor through the death of the sitting governor) he was opposed on the left by Peter Welch, now our congressman.

  49. seattlefan says:

    @Kath the Scrappy

    Lol! Good on you for doing what you did. Yep…her resume was less than stellar, but I REALLY did not want Reichert to win. Kudos to you for cringing and trying to make things right. 🙂

  50. sally says:

    Please enjoy the comment by an ADN poster regarding Palin standing by her death panel claim:
    trutheater wrote on 08/14/2009 00:29:14 AM:
    Sarah Palin’s opinion on health care is like a spork in a finger food restaurant: strange to begin with, and given the circumstances, 100% irrelevant.

    End-of-life discussions that lead to the construction of a living will are crucial to respecting the sanctity of life, as God intended. From how Sarah continues to talk to us, the American public, it is clear that she has no respect for our ability to live our own lives as we see fit, including in the time when we are close to moving on. That, or she just doesn’t get it.

    I guess given her actions recently, both could be the case.

  51. Kath the Scrappy says:

    Oh YES AKM, this was seriously a MUST discussion to attend. Jeepers, imagine what feedings it will supply you for posts in the future!

    @ 3 seattlefan
    “For the life of me, I can’t understand how we have him elected in our district. Must be because of his high profile involvement with the Green River killer thing.”

    OK, OK, confess that I banged the drums & got talked into donating money for Darcy Burner’s campaign (even though I’m not from your district). But, I cringe to admit it. Even though this 2nd round where Darcy seemed more polished, her resume seemed rather slim, hope you won’t take that wrong. I think she should have tried for some council, state rep position first, getting more experience before jumping into the ‘big boy’s club’. JMO.

  52. WOW, catching up with all the news from Netroots and out of breath already. Thanks for keeping us updated. What great speakers, everything great. I´m limiting my online time today or I´ll stay here all day instead of getting my life together (and maybe a little activism of my own? That would be so daring for me.)

  53. honestyinGov says:

    W o W …. AKM… I am now picturing Brian in a very LARGE Yamaka …

    How did you get it to fit around the antlers…?
    Have fun…. and Brian… also,too.

  54. seattlefan says:

    Hey fawnskin….first is fun!

    I can’t sleep so I looked at the link and our schmedrick is Reichert. For the life of me, I can’t understand how we have him elected in our district. Must be because of his high profile involvement with the Green River killer thing. Anyway, here are the overall scores for the district I live in. Thanks for sharing this info AKM.

    Dave Reichert (R) 24.47 (Representative)
    Maria Cantwell (D) 89.90 (Senator)
    Patty Murray (D) 90.84 (Senator)

    Looks like Reichert is a tad bit better than Don Young.

    I love how they have the breakdown on various issues. Cool link. I wonder if it is an ongoing thing or just for this conference. Please let us know.

  55. fawnskin mudpuppy says:

    (and also glad to be numero uno)

  56. fawnskin mudpuppy says:

    good morning all…
    so glad to see akm having a fun and informative adventure