The ultimate filibuster - Wisconsin Democrats hide in Illinois to avoid union wage cut vote

In another sign of what may spread throughout North America, the battle between the public and their elected officials who need to find ways of balancing budgets versus unions and their supporters has become ridiculous and desperate.

In order to enure that a quorum could not be reached on a vote they were going to lose, Democratic state legislators in Wisconsin fled to Illinois. The Republican-backed bill would force most unionized state workers to pay half their pension costs and 12.6% of their health care coverage. Barack Obama weighed in calling the bill "an assault on unions."

Obama's criticism led Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker to retort, "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."

With the public increasingly turning against public service unions, whose self-interest and hypocrisy is evident, they are likely to continue pulling more desperate stunts. It speaks volumes to the dearth of intelligence among union leaders that their belligerent actions which betray the interests of democratic institutions only increases public opposition to them.

Union-linked Ontario Coalition Against Poverty's John Clarke warned that he will attempt more outrageous actions like those in the video below. Each one costs his and the unions' cause more in public support.