The Hill News

House Democrats are seeking donations from supporters angry about the labor protests in Wisconsin.

Rep. Steve Israel (N.Y.), the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), e-mailed out a fundraising pitch asking for funds to help the party stand up to Republicans in Madison, Wis., as well as Washington.

"If the protests in Wisconsin teach us anything, it's that we must meet the Republicans’ push for an extreme right-wing agenda head-on with the strength of Democrats standing united," Israel wrote.

Israel's e-mail, entitled, "Washington, Wisconsin and You," comes before a key fundraising deadline, and also raises fears of a government shutdown on March 4 if Democrats and Republicans can't agree on a measure to continue funding the government.
"Time is short," Israel wrote. "If Republicans refuse to back down from their radical cuts by next week, the government could be forced to shut down."

Not many national political figures have sought so far to raise money off of the Wisconsin protests, which carried on Friday into an 11th day with no immediate end in sight. The Republican governor, Scott Walker, wants to limit collective bargaining rights for public employees and force unions to contribute more to their health and benefits programs.