Term of the day

... but first, this is what a tax-payer-funded protest looks like.

And now for the term: Abdicate

1: to cast off : discard
2: to relinquish (as sovereign power) formally

Thousands of teachers, calling in sick, have descended upon the state capitol of Wisconsin (some dragging their students along) to protest the pension and collective bargaining reforms being sought by Wisconsin governor, Scott Walker, in order to help close the state's $3.6 billion budget shortfall. There's a slight problem, however, as the Wisconsin state Senate needs 60% for a quorom in order to hold a vote to pass this legislation and the 14 Democratic state senators have flown the coop over state lines, bringing the Senate one body short of the required amount (there are 19 Republican Senators).

Democratic State Senators who protested the budget repair bill by leaving the state have been found.

The lawmakers are in the Best Western Clock Tower Resort in Rockford Illinois.

Law enforcement officials have been looking for at least one Democratic senator to bring in for a quorum required for a fiscal measure, but Democratic Senator Jon Erpenbach confirmed to Newsradio 620 WTMJ that he and all of his Democratic colleagues boarded a bus and left the state.

"We're not in Wisconsin right now," Erpenbach said. "The reason why we're doing this is because there are some jurisdictional issues that we'd be dealing with."

The Senate's Sergeant at Arms cannot compel Senators' attendance in an open session if they are outside of state lines.

According to the Twitter account of Democrat State Senator Chris Larson from Bay View, "For those looking for us, we are right here, standing with the people of Wisconsin."

(italics, ours)

You better believe there are some jurisdictional issues you'd be dealing with, champ, as you would be escorted back to the capitol building by the Seargent at Arms to do what the tax-payers of Wisconsin are paying you to do even if it just meant sitting on your hands during the vote.

And no, Larson, you are not standing with the people of Wisconsin, you are standing next to the people of Illinois.

The people of Wisconsin spoke loud and clear in November voting in Scott Walker who made no mystery of the fact he intended to reform public employee union benefits packages.

For some background on just what it is the governor is asking the teachers' union to concede go over to B-Daddy's place who adds this:

I know of no other retirement plan where workers contribute a paltry 0.2% of their pay for their own retirement and only 6% of their health insurance premium. In return for concessions, the governor has said their will be no furloughs (layoffs), and still the unions are stirring up huge trouble.

This is it, people. Since the President, himself, has abdicated a leadership role with respect to unsustainable future obligations, it's going to get started at the state level and ground zero is the capitol building at Madison.

As we speak, thousands of union goons are descending upon Madison and are doing what it is union goons do like "protesting" in front of Walker's house.

The battle is joined - let's get it on!