Democratic members of the Texas state legislature have fled the state for the second time this year to deny Republicans a quorum to pass voting integrity legislation — flying maskless to Washington, DC, undermining a vote on the right to vote...
In 2003, Texas Democrats fled in a failed attempt to prevent Republicans from passing redistricting legislation. 52 Texas House members went to Oklahoma for a week, then 11 Texas Senate members spent 46 days in exile in New Mexico...
In 2011, Democrats tried the tactic in several different states as a reaction to Tea Party-driven conservative wins in the 2010 midterm elections.
Wisconsin Democrats fled the state to deny Republicans the majority necessary to pass Gov. Scott Walker’s public sector union reforms.
-Joel B. Pollak 
On the Democratic senators fleeing Wisconsin, Paul Ryan says: "I didn't like the legislation that was moving through Washington the last two years -- I didn't like cap and trade, I didn't like Obamacare, I didn't like the stimulus. But I didn't walk out. We stayed and did our jobs. We voted, we tried to amend, we made our debates....Elections have consequences. They won, we lost. That's the way it works. So I just don't understand this lack of respect for the rule of law."
So what's a Virginia Democrat to do when his chamber is voting on a pro-Israel resolution? Run away -- twice -- to avoid going on the record in either direction.
Democrat, Crime, Character, Drugs
Kerry Kennedy may agree to a plea deal over driving while drugged charges stemming from a 2012 accident so she can continue her extensive human rights work... She fled the scene of the accident and subsequently tested positive for Ambien several hours later, police said at the time. There were no injuries in the crash, which Kennedy told cops she did not remember, and the only damage was a flat tire to her 2008 Lexus SUV.
Democrat, Crime, Character, Fraud, Justice, Theft
A Douglas County Democratic pol was charged this week by local police with first degree forgery after duping a pair of municipal employees in a bid to win reduced child support payments. Freddie Leonard Ashmon, Jr., a one-time county commissioner vying for the same gig in the state’s July primary, deceived late last month two county employees into tweaking a pay stub to show an earnings reduction of $10,000. The altered receipt was later floated to a family court judge by Ashmon’s attorney to secure diminished financial support of his 16-year-old daughter, Douglas County Sheriff Phil Miller said.
Democrat, Guns, Character
Iowa House Democrats this morning left the Capitol in protest of two gun bills the Republican majority had planned to debate today that critics contend would make the state part of the “Wild, Wild West.”
Democrat, Union, Government, Character
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana House Democrats who fled the state five weeks ago to protest a Republican agenda they considered an assault on labor unions and public education returned to the Statehouse on Monday and resumed work.
Democrat
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the Democrats adjourned the House and turned off the light and killed the microphones, but Republicans are still on the floor talking gas prices.
Also, Republicans can thank Shadegg for turning on the microphones the first time. Apparently, the fiesty Arizona conservative started typing random codes into the chamber’s public address system and accidentally typed the correct code, allowing Republicans brief access to the microphone before it was turned off again.
Democrat
With action in the Texas House brought to a standstill, roughly 50 state Democratic representatives said they would remain in neighboring Oklahoma "as long as it takes" to block a Republican-drawn redistricting plan that could cost them five seats in Congress.
Democrat, Sex
"If you are going to be out more than two weeks call your spouse for conjugal visits," explained Texas Democrat Leticia Van de Putte, who, back in 2003, was one of 11 state senators who fled to New Mexico in order to stall Republican redistricting plans.
Democrat
(AP) In a move reminiscent of a walkout by House Democrats 2-1/2 months ago, 11 of the state Senate's 12 Democrats fled Texas for Albuquerque, N.M., protesting a second special session on congressional redistricting.
Democrat, Union
House Democrats are leaving the state rather than vote on anti-union legislation, The Indianapolis Star has learned.
A source said Democrats are headed to Illinois, though it was possible some also might go to Kentucky. They need to go to a state with a Democratic governor to avoid being taken into police custody and returned to Indiana.
Rather than vote on anti-union legislation, Indiana House members are following the example of their colleagues in Wisconsin and fleeing the state, The Indianapolis Star reports.
Democrat, Union
25% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of this tactic, while 67% disapprove.
Democrat, Union
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democrats on the run in Wisconsin avoided state troopers Friday and threatened to stay in hiding for weeks, potentially paralyzing the state government in a standoff with majority Republicans over union rights for public employees.
Democrat, Union, Government, Incompetence
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker called for runaway Democratic lawmakers to return to the state by Tuesday and vote on his bill that would end most collective bargaining rights for public employees or else the state stood to lose out on a refinancing plan that would save 1,500 employees their jobs.
Democrat, Union
Fox Nation has learned exclusively from a highly placed source within Wisconsin state politics that the fourteen AWOL Democrats are experiencing "dissension in the ranks." State Sen. Julie Lassa (D) is pregnant and "extremely unhappy" about being on the run. State Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D) has been hit particularly hard by his paycheck being withheld.
Democrat, Character
Lawmaking can be a frustrating business, especially when you're outnumbered. But some Democratic state legislators have recently embraced a simple tool to gain leverage: the empty chair.