ATLANTA -- Nathan Deal says a 6-year-old news article shows that rival Karen Handel in the Republican gubernatorial race once supported gay adoption and may need help understanding why that should offend conservative values voters.

Handel says the charge is untrue but shows that Deal is worried.

It all got started Monday when Congressman Tom Price announced he was switching his support from Deal to Handel.

Deal then put out this statement:

“As a native Georgian, I was brought up to believe that a person’s word is his bond, which is why I’m grateful to the conservative Georgians who’ve remained loyal to our cause. It’s their support that has made me the only Republican with a 7-point lead over Roy Barnes. Maybe now, Tom can try to help Karen understand why her support of gay adoption offends the conservative values of Georgians throughout the state, let alone those who vote in the Republican primary.”

A day later, on Tuesday, Handel put this statement out:

“Nathan Deal is clearly worried, as his response was to attack Tom Price’s integrity and charge Karen with an old, untrue statement. We will see more of this as our opponents get more desperate.”

Tuesday afternoon, the Deal campaign unleashed some of its opposition research:

“Actually, 2003 isn't so ‘old’ and the truth is that Handel endorsed gay adoption when she campaigned for Fulton County Commission chair in 2003 while courting votes and fund-raising.

“In a 2003 interview with ‘Southern Voice,’ Handel admits she has issues with the Republican platform.

"I don't think, perhaps as a party, [Republicans] have been as open-minded about things as we should have," Handel said Monday. "Even though I'm a Republican, I don't agree 100 percent with the things in the platform."

“In fact, Handel joined the Log Cabin Republicans and actively sought and gained the group's endorsement."

Meanwhile, Democratic former Gov. Roy Barnes is airing a new ad in Savannah, Macon, Augusta, Albany and Savannah, which rips Republicans (including the man who denied him a second term in 2002, Sonny Perdue) for rescinding the homeowners’ tax relief grant which he instituted.

Here is the script:

“As Governor, we increased the homestead exemption to give everyone a property tax break. But the politicians under the gold dome took away our tax cut. So our taxes went up but the taxes of the special interest went down. That's not right and it's not fair and when I'm Governor, it won't stand.”

There obviously is no love lost between Barnes and Perdue.

Back in January at the Georgia Chamber’s annual Eggs & Issues breakfast, Perdue said:

“You know democracies are an interesting thing. Every four or eight years we elect someone to this important, prestigious position who is totally unprepared for the responsibilities of being governor. Now, if you’re fortunate enough to win re-election, you learn some things along the way through on-the-job training.

“At the end of the day, there’s really no way to prepare someone – it’s not as if they’ve been governor before…well, at least I hope they haven’t. After all, as business leaders, you understand the problems that arise when you hire someone back that you once fired.”

Downstate, former Sen. Eric Johnson, a Republican candidate for governor, hailed the reversal of a decision which had banned prayer at a senior citizens center in Port Wentworth which he visited on Monday expressly to rail against the ban.

“When bureaucrats in Washington tell bureaucrats in Atlanta to tell good folks in Port Wentworth they can’t bless their food before a meal, you’ve got to wonder what this country has come to,” said Johnson. “I’ve had enough. We can’t just stand by and let our values be assaulted by the overreaching, out-of-control federal government.”

Recently, operators of the center were forced to end the practice of offering grace before meals because of federal regulations, he said in a press release.

Johnson visited the center on Monday during lunch to speak out against the situation and to offer a prayer. The visit received national and local media attention. Monday evening it was announced that the decision had been reversed and prayers would be resumed.

Democrat David Poythress has a new ad up and, like Barnes', its airing mainly outside the Atlanta market.

Here is the script:

“People all over Georgia are hurting, and the politicians in Atlanta aren’t listening. They don’t seem to realize that this week’s paycheck won’t cover next week’s bills.

“My plan will help small businesses start hiring again and put folks back to work. And to prove I’m serious about getting results … I won’t accept a paycheck as governor until we get unemployment below 7 percent.

Georgians needs a fighter. As a three-star general, that’s what I do.”