Holiday a workday for Georgia politicians

By Steve Visser

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Organized labor isn't backing Nathan Deal for governor, but the Republican plans to capitalize on the federal holiday unions won in 1894.

"We celebrate working Georgia -- all of Georgia is looking for a job, and we're going to help them find a job," Deal campaign spokesman Brian Robinson said. "We do see the general election starting this coming week, and we'll be doing traditional things like walking in a parade on Monday and on Tuesday releasing our education plan. We're going to be talking issues right out of the gate."

Deal, a former North Georgia congressman, has barely had a breather since winning the Republican primary runoff Aug. 10. His Democratic rival, former Gov. Roy Barnes, didn't wait until Labor Day to begin his general election campaign. He had political ads running on television the day Deal secured the GOP nomination. B

Barnes was defeated in 2002, ushering in the first Republican governor since Reconstruction, in part because of his own battle with unions -- teachers unions that didn't support his educational reform plans. He has spent months trying to regain their support while reminding other Georgians that the state didn't have high unemployment when he was in the Governor's Mansion.

"Georgia added 235,000 jobs while Roy was governor -- he knows he can do it again," Barnes spokesman Emil Runge said. "Roy's plan to create jobs, end teacher furloughs and restore property tax cuts is too important to wait to start campaigning until the second week in September. That is why Roy already has visited over 90 counties in the last year, sharing his plan to make Georgia work again."

Monday, Deal of Gainesville is focusing on vote-rich metro Atlanta by attending a 10K race in Marietta -- on Barnes' home turf -- and the parade in Douglasville. Barnes plans to attend union-backed Labor Day picnics in Hapeville and Albany. Unions are comparatively small in Georgia but still provide organizers and foot soldiers to run get-out-the-vote campaigns.

"All signs point to an aggressive effort by labor to support Roy," said Eric Robertson, political director for Teamsters Local 728.

State Rep. Tyrone Brooks, D-Atlanta, said he started touring the state Saturday to remind Democratic leaders their voters need to be energized for the party to prevail in a year when nationally Democrats are being blamed for the economy. Voters, who have until Oct. 4 to register for the Nov. 2 election, can start casting ballots on either Sept. 17 or Sept. 20, depending on when their home county starts early voting.

"Most of the Democratic candidates will be using Labor Day to really shift into high gear going toward Nov. 2," said Brooks, president of the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials. "It is kind of a launching pad for campaigns. It doesn't have the punch it once had now that candidates are up on television, but it is still a tradition."