Labor Day marks the moment when Washington goes back to work. August is a waste. There is no news. Reporters, desperate for copy, work the phones and get nothing but voice mail. Things change immediately after Labor Day.
Fax machines spew press releases.
Congressional hearing rooms roil with activity. Soon, the federal fiscal year begins, and, during election years, the campaign season kicks in. Pumpkins and pigskin. From coast to coast, Labor Day marks the end of summer vacation and the beginning of other things. It is the start of the fashion season, the start of the book-publishing season, the start of the regular football season.