The Daily Caller:
A three-day-long stand-off at the Wisconsin state capitol between union supporters and those backing the Republican governor’s budget cuts just went to another level Thursday as Democratic senators apparently fled the area to prevent a vote on Gov. Scott Walker’s budget-repair bill, which would cut public employee union collective bargaining rights and require them to contribute to pensions and health care.
Fourteen Senate Democrats have left the state to prevent the vote, according to AP sources in Wisconsin, attempting to force further negotiation on the bill, which would pass the Republican-controlled Senate if brought up for a vote. ABC News reports that 13 of 14 of the Democrats may have fled the state in a bus headed to Iowa. The move would stall a vote on the budget-repair measure and protect missing Democrats from a provision in Wisconsin’s constitution that allows lawmakers to compel their return to the capitol.
Remember when Obama called GOP Lawmakers "hostage takers"?
Well, these runaway Wisconsin Democrats , like true hostage takers, have called in a "list of demands" to CNN:
Gateway Pundit has a running set up updates as the story has progressed. One of which showed Tea Party members chasing the child like Democratic runaways out of Rockford.
The Politico reports that the DNC has been playing a role in the Wisconsin protests.
The Hill reports the protests and the antics of the runaway Democratic lawmakers has steeled the resolve of the Republicans in charge.
"If anything, I think it's made the Republicans in the Assembly and the Senate stronger," he told Fox News's Greta Van Susteren in an interview Thursday night. "They're not going to be bullied. They're not going to be intimidated."
Walker also fired back at President Obama, who sided with the public employees, saying on Fox News Friday, "We are focused on balancing our budget. It would be wise for the government and others in Washington to focus on balancing their budgets, which they are a long way off from doing."
Power Line makes a succinct point:
A common theme of the union demonstrators in Madison today was that Governor Walker is a "dictator." This showed up on sign after sign. It sheds light, I think, on how public union members in particular, and liberals in general, think. What is going on here is that the voters of Wisconsin have elected a Republican Governor and--overwhelmingly--a Republican legislature, precisely so that they can get the state's budget under control.
Now, imagine if this had been Republican politicians who ran away to avoid a vote, and the Tea Party organizing those protests... what would the liberals be saying about it?
Who are the hostage takers now?
.