For some reason Wisconsin Democrats have begun to believe they are the next people power revolution. From reports on the ground it appears the Senate Democrat leadership has been freebasing crystal meth all week, leading to delusions of grandeur wherein they believe not showing up for votes and literally running away out of the state makes them democratic revolutionaries.

In an attempt to deny the Republicans the votes to conduct business, all of the Wisconsin Democrat State Senators decided to ditch the Capitol with some Senators running out of state so they couldn’t be forced to vote.

To document their triumphant narrative of spinelessness, they have been tweeting their experience as if they are leading the fight against a barbaric regime. Sorry, but Madison is not Cairo or Tehran. 

One Democrat Senator tweeted: “I am doing the people’s business. Power to the PEOPLE.”

While another Democrat was quoted as saying they were doing it “for the kids.”

Really? That tired old line again? How is not doing your job “for the kids?” Can I sleep in tomorrow, miss work and call my boss and report that it’s okay, I did it for the kids? Sure must be nice to live in that alternate reality.

Why do we have the feeling these Democrats would do well in the French army?

And the vicious act of barbarism that prompted this revolution?

Newly-elected Republican Governor Scott Walker has tried to implement what he promised on the campaign trail – I know, novel idea – tackling a $3.6 billion budget shortfall by reining in government spending. Gov. Walker is asking for public employees to pay 12% of their benefits and match the government’s contribution to their pensions.

In exchange for this he can afford to not lay any of them off. I bet any out-of-work private sector employee would kill to have that. In fact, it’s a better benefit package than most private workers would have had when still employed.

What’s really set off the supposed Nelson Mandelas of Madison is Walker’s attempt to resolve the budget issue long-term—namely dealing with exploding costs that derive from primarily one area: public employees.

Gov. Walker’s proposal is to modify, not end, the bargaining rights of public employees to allow them to only seek pay increases that are pegged to the Consumer Price Index. They can seek more if they want, but like the private sector they have to ask the people paying their salaries–in this case the people of Wisconsin. If voters thought teachers needed or deserved more than they could vote for a pay increase. Workers are free to make that case to the electorate. Most people in this country deal with this reality every day.

Rather than show up and lose the vote on the Senate floor, Democrats have decided to take their ball and run very far away from home.

Now the SEIU is attempting to hold unity rallies across the country in support of people not working because they don’t like the consequences of losing elections.

The Tea Party and other liberty minded groups have organized to hold counter-rallies. Now, since Tea Party members can’t call in sick, because doing so carries actual consequences in the private sector, we don’t expect the counter rallies to be the same size, but it is sure nice to see a counter-weight to organized labor on the right.

The Northern Colorado Tea Party is holding their counter rally tomorrow, Tuesday February 22 on the West Steps of the Capitol at 12 pm.