Perdue, top officials agree to keep disagreements out of public eye

ATLANTA - Governor-elect Sonny Perdue promised the state&#39;s top elected officials Wednesday he won&#39;t criticize them through the press when they have differences of opinion, and he said they promised to extend the same courtesy to him. <br> <br> After an hour-long, closed-door luncheon, Perdue told reporters, ``We agreed to stay in close dialogue and, frankly, not to discuss one&#39;s job performance through you all but personally and face to face.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Joining Perdue for the meeting were Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin, Secretary of State Cathy Cox, School Superintendent-elect Kathy Cox, Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond and Attorney General Thurbert Baker. <br> <br> Perdue said the effort to keep disagreements off the front page is a matter of showing respect. <br> <br> The governor-elect said, ``It&#39;s an old child-rearing adage I&#39;ve always talked about and that is, &#39;praise in public, punish in private&#39; -- not that &#39;punish&#39; carries over to them.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> He said he hopes the officials will offer criticism of him -- in private -- ``if they see some things that they feel I could be doing better.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Perdue, a former state senator, will become the first Republican governor of Georgia in over 130 years when he is inaugurated January 13. He defeated Democratic Governor Barnes on November 5.