Their battle cry is Shame!

In the Wisconsin state assembly, Democrats donned orange union T shirts and shouted Shame, Shame! Shame! at Republicans who had just passed a bill to limit unions slowly walked out of the state assembly house.

Those who should be ashamed are the democrats, for abdicating their responsibilities and hold the state and the people of Wisconsin hostage to their ideological minority mindset.

Madison

State Senate Republicans gave preliminary approval Friday of a budget-repair bill that eliminates most collective bargaining for public unions, but they were unable to send the bill to Gov. Scott Walker because of a weeklong boycott of the session by Democrats.

The vote came just hours after the representatives in the sleep-starved Assembly approved the bill. Their debate lasted 61 hours and was the longest in living memory.

On a voice vote, the Senate put the bill in a state where it can no longer be amended. Twenty senators must be present to pass the bill, but Republicans have just 19 seats.

Republicans railed against Democrats for fleeing to Illinois and boycotting the Senate since Feb. 17.

"Our Democrat senators not only ran away from the state, they ran away from their responsibility," said Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin).

Democrats say Republicans could achieve their financial goals by taking pension and health-care concessions from public employees, but should leave intact the bulk of their collective bargaining rights.