Campaign briefs | Florida primary re-do still problematic

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Democratic leaders proposed on Wednesday to re-do the party’s presidential primary on June 3 through a combination of mail-in ballots and in-person voting at 50 temporary election offices.

Proponents said another contest is the best way to ensure that Florida’s votes count in the selection of a nominee. But the proposal already has divided voters — vehemently, in some cases — and sparked fears that the controversy could sap the party’s support in the November election.

The political world is watching because the outcome could tip the results of a close campaign between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, who has a slight lead in delegates selected so far.

The head of Florida’s Democratic Party plans to make a decision by Monday on how to proceed.

• Obama criticizes McCain on taxes

CHICAGO — Democratic Sen. Barack Obama said Thursday that Sen. John McCain reversed his position on President Bush’s deep tax cuts to win the Republican presidential nomination, one of his sharpest criticisms yet of the Arizona senator he hopes to face this fall.

Criticizing GOP efforts to extend major tax cuts from Bush’s first term and to eliminate the estate tax, Obama said: “These are all steps that John McCain rightly said were irresponsible when they first came up.”

McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said in a statement that if Obama is nominated “the American people will have a clear choice: John McCain will cut taxes while Senator Obama will raise them.”

• Ferraro says media are unfair to Clinton

SMITHFIELD, R.I. — Former vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro said Thursday that the media have been unfair to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, whom she supports for president.

“I don’t know if it’s just ’cause they don’t like her. I don’t know what it is,” Ferraro said at a women’s summit at Bryant University.

Ferraro stepped down Wednesday from an honorary position with Clinton’s campaign after suggesting in a newspaper interview that Clinton rival Barack Obama would not be succeeding as a presidential candidate if he weren’t black.

• Movie stars helping with Obama ad

WASHINGTON — “Saturday Night Live” may be boosting Hillary Clinton’s campaign, but Barack Obama’s advertising team is getting some assistance from film pros with Oscar clout like Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.

The liberal group MoveOn.org, reprising a 2004 ad contest against President Bush, has enlisted the actors to help select an ad supporting Obama’s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.

MoveOn plans to air the winning commercial on national television, but organizers hope the real benefit could come simply from media attention, Internet buzz and the star power behind it.

— From Wire Reports