There are no two ways about it: Wisconsin workers, both private and public, will emerge worse off on the other side of the current budget bill battle. But Wisconsin is going down fighting.

The question is: will Wisconsin unions be left with enough power to fight another day? Union leaders have offered to negotiate and make the financial concessions demanded by the Republican leadership. Governor Scott Walker has told them to go spit. He doesn't just want want to win this battle, he wants to win forever.

The longer Democratic legislators stay AWOL and force discussion of the bill to drag out, the better chance there is that [...]