Labor day often marks a fresh beginning to the campaign season. Today Nebraska democrats launched an attack on Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman, accusing him of Chicago-style politics.

The Nebraska Democratic Party wrote a letter to Attorney General Jon Bruning on Friday urging the state's top cop to investigate the governor for bribery.

It stems from an August 25 letter from the governor to the heads of the state education association, council of school administrators and association of school boards.

The governor points out that under the new federal health care law, medicaid costs in Nebraska will skyrocket and that to cover the increases, the state has to cut from somewhere else.

Even though they have no power in the matter, he urges the boards to support repealing the health care reform law and that if you "sit silently", he's going to assume it's "support for the likely reduction in funding for education."

Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Vic Covalt says the governor is playing "Illinois style politics" by shaking down these education agencies and that he's "using his public office for a personal, political advantage."

State Republican chair Mark Fahleson says the governor was only pointing out the difficult choices an unfunded mandate presents and the irony of calling for a bribery investigation when the democrats in this state have dealt with the so-called "Cornhusker Kickback".

The Democratic party is asking for a prompt, thorough and public investigation.

Republicans say it's just a desperate attempt to hurt the governor.