Life on the lam isn't easy for the "Democratic 14."

They shuttle from place to place in Illinois, contact constituents, read e-mails and try to keep up to date on the political chaos that has engulfed Madison since they fled the state Thursday.

And the 14 Democratic state senators say they stand united in trying to block passage of Gov. Scott Walker's budget-repair bill.

They claim they're not coming home anytime soon.

"The ball is in Gov. Walker's court," said Sen. Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point). "Public employees have given him what he says he needs to balance the budget. All they want is a voice in their workplace and to keep their rights."

Lassa was among a group of senators who met with the Journal Sentinel on Sunday night at an undisclosed location in Illinois. The group is at various locations in the state.

For lawmakers who high-tailed it out of state, they sure seemed calm. Nobody is going to haul them back to Wisconsin. Yet life is surreal, a whirl of phone calls, interviews, strategy sessions and catching up with the news back home.

Some have had to get new chargers for their cell phones. Relatives have brought some of them changes of clothing. When all else fails, there's always the hotel sink to wash a pair of socks.

They say they're working hard - just not working in Madison. And they say they're paying their own way.

"The Republicans are on vacation, not us," said Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee). "We're working through the weekend. What did they do?"

No time to pack

When they left the state Thursday, the Democrats left in a hurry.

Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) took off with the clothes on his back. He had to buy a spare shirt from Kmart. He's sleeping on an inflatable mattress.

"We thought we were going to make our point, get them (the Republicans) to come back to the table and back off this bad legislation," Larson said. "I think if anything they moved further into their corner, and we've had to adjust."

Carpenter left a cat in the care of his nieces and pulled on a Wisconsin Badgers sweatshirt and a Milwaukee Brewers baseball cap. Try wearing that outfit every day in Illinois.

Lassa packed light but left behind her two young children. She's also expecting a third child this spring.

"We've just been making it work," Lassa said of life on the road. "It has been quite interesting. I think everyone has gotten along real well. I certainly have gotten to know a lot of my fellow caucus members."

Walker has called on the Democrats to return home and get back to business. Republican leaders in the state Senate say they'll work on legislation Tuesday, with or without the Democrats.

Meanwhile, the state Capitol has been the scene of massive daily demonstrations.

The Democrats say they didn't start this fight.

"Gov. Walker has pulled the nuclear option," Carpenter said.

Sen. Fred Risser (D-Madison) said he helped craft the legislation that gave government workers collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin in 1959. A few days on the road doesn't seem like much of a sacrifice to him in order to keep those rights.

"One of the reasons we're slowing this process up is to let the public realize what the governor slipped into this bill," Risser said.

Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) is holed up in Chicago. He conducted several news interviews Sunday and even had a preproduction conversation with "The Colbert Report."

Yep, you know your story is going viral when "The Colbert Report" calls.

Erpenbach said by telephone that "our resolve on this is pretty strong," and added that he hoped Walker would back off legislation that would strip most public-sector employees of collective bargaining rights, except for wages. Public-sector unions have agreed to have workers kick in more for health care and pensions.

"We believe the governor is going to try to find an opportunity to figure out a way to accept what is on the table, declare victory, move on," Erpenbach said.

Sen. Spencer Coggs (D-Milwaukee) said Walker is "affable" but he disagrees with his policy. During a telephone interview, Coggs said Walker never talked in the campaign about "gutting unions or taking power away from working people."

Several of the Democratic lawmakers said they had received threats in the wake of the showdown in Madison. Republican lawmakers also have expressed alarm at the heated rhetoric and have said they also have received threats.

"I don't want to see anyone get threats," Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) said during a telephone interview. "Those are my colleagues (Republicans and Democrats). They sacrificed to do this job. However, the cards, the power, the choice, the ability to put this on the right course, the leadership we need at the head of state that has to come from our governor."

How long will they all stay out? The "Democratic 14" said it's up to one man: Walker.

"We're not going to stay out forever," Risser said. "We'll come back at the appropriate time."