TOLEDO, Ohio – Parades, picnics and politicians celebrated the American worker on Labor Day, with President Barack Obama seeking votes from Ohio union members and rivals for Senate seats marching in Massachusetts and Virginia.

But for many, Monday’s holiday was a last chance to enjoy a final summer cookout, roller-coaster ride or day at the beach. Or perhaps even a stroll from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to its Lower Peninsula – along the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

Politics was a big part of Labor Day, the time when much of the public usually starts to pay attention to the campaigns.