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Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Democratic state senators sought a negotiated compromise to their standoff over collective-bargaining rights this week, with each side offering concessions.

Some of the 14 Democrats who fled the state on Feb. 17 hinted that they were prepared to return, restoring the quorum Walker needs to pass a bill to plug a $3.6 billion hole in the state

budget. Before doing so, however, they wanted to meet Walker near the Illinois border to negotiate changes. He refused, but in e-mails to the absent Democrats, offered to amend his proposal

to allow public unions to negotiate over salary increases and issues such as mandatory overtime, hazardous-duty pay, and classroom size for teachers. But Walker still insists on stripping

unions of power to bargain over benefits.

In a similar battle in Indiana, Democratic legislators stayed in Illinois for a third week to deny Republicans a quorum to pass anti-union legislation. And in Ohio unionists protested

outside the capitol as the Republican-controlled legislature was poised to support a senate bill blunting collective-bargaining powers.

“We’re broke! We’re broke!” said The New York Times in an editorial. That’s the “scare tactic” Gov. Walker and fellow

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