The Murdoch sheet's up with a story misquoting Wisconsin Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller to the effect that the Band on the Run of 14 are on the verge of a return to the state where they'd provide the quorum needed for the Republican majority to pass the odious budget reconciliation that's been at the heart of the ongoing battle.
I'm not going to bother digging through the WSJ for a link, someone else can get their computer dirty, but here's the rebuttal, from my Assembly Rep. Mark Pocan's Facebook feed...
Hey FB Friends, there is a new article out in the Wall Street Journal misquoting Sen. Mark Miller, saying the Senators are coming back. Yes, they are coming back EVENTUALLY. However, in no way are they intending to come right back. I talked to Mark's office tonight. That's not to say they don't need our support; they do. But they are strong. Make sure the misinformation doesn't circulate please.
Updated by ben masel at Sun Mar 6, 2011, 10:32:47 PM
Sen. Jon Erpenbach's Facebook status
"Here's the deal... The fact is Mark Miller's comments were taken out of context. He was saying we will be coming home at some point. When that is is unclear and not completely up to the 14 of us. Again... we are committed to remaining in Illinois for the foreseeable future. We will continue to reach out in order to try and find compromise."
Updated by ben masel at Mon Mar 7, 2011, 03:29:48 AM
And while I've got your attention...
The Governor's lackeys' claims about damage to the Capitol itself are indeed bogus, but the repeated impact of 10s of thousands of feet has done a number on the lawns. After recruiting a team to administer, opening a dedicated bank account, etc, I'll be asking for donations for resodding and reseeding bin co-ordination with the Capitol's permanent landscaping staff.