One of the complaints I've had with Barack Obama is the difficulty trying to pin him down on issues. His positions too often seem to shift over time.

Politico has a doozy today. Remember the questionnaire that Obama submitted -- the one where he later said he didn't mean some of the answers, but a staffer had filled it out incorrectly?

Turns out, the questionnaire has turned up, with his handwriting on it. There's the issue of parental notification for abortions. But to me, its the ones on the death penalty and gun control that stand out.

During his first run for elected office, Barack Obama played a greater role than his aides now acknowledge in crafting liberal stands on gun control, the death penalty and abortion — positions that appear at odds with the more moderate image he has projected during his presidential campaign.

The evidence comes from an amended version of an Illinois voter group’s detailed questionnaire, filed under his name during his 1996 bid for a state Senate seat.

Late last year, in response to a Politico story about Obama’s answers to the original questionnaire, his aides said he “never saw or approved” the questionnaire.

They asserted the responses were filled out by a campaign aide who “unintentionally mischaracterize[d] his position.”

But a Politico examination determined that Obama was actually interviewed about the issues on the questionnaire by the liberal Chicago nonprofit group that issued it. And it found that Obama — the day after sitting for the interview — filed an amended version of the questionnaire, which appears to contain Obama’s own handwritten notes added to one answer.

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Update: 10:30 pm MT: She's over $3 million now. That's $85,000.00 in the past hour alone. Thanks in part go to TL readers who contributed (see comments below), you helped push her over the top.

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For the past three days, Hillary Clinton has been fundraising online with a goal of raising $3 million by midnight, the end of the fundraising quarter. Right now, she's at $2,915,000. $1 million a day for someone the media is counting as down and out isn't bad.

Maya Angelou has a new post up at Hillary's site as part of part of a series in celebration of Women's History Month. The theme: Rise, Hillary, Rise.

She begins with a poem:

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

She adds,

This is not the first time you have seen Hillary Clinton seemingly at her wits end, but she has always risen, always risen, much to the dismay of her adversaries and the delight of her friends.

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By Big Tent Democrat

The Obama camp got smart:

As she endorsed Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's presidential bid Monday morning, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar rebuked fellow Democrats who are pressuring New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to cede the party's nomination. "I believe that Sen. Clinton should remain in this race," Klobuchar told reporters in a conference call announcing her decision to back Obama. "I don't agree with some of my colleagues' comments this week.

Ok. At least someone has some good sense in the Obama camp. More so than that displayed by some Obama supporters.

Update TL: Comments now closed.

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

The Obama network and Obama blogs are no doubt upset that Ed Rendell told the truth:

I think during this entire primary coverage, starting in Iowa and up to the present -- FOX has done the fairest job, and remained the most objective of all the cable networks. You hate both of our candidates. No, I’m only kidding. But you actually have done a very balanced job of reporting the news, and some of the other stations are just caught up with Senator Obama, who is a great guy, but Senator Obama can do no wrong, and Senator Clinton can do no right.

(Emphasis mine.) Of course, Rendell was not kidding when he said Fox hates both Clinton and Obama. The difference is NBC hates Clinton and worships Obama. That was Rendell's point. Hilarious that Josh Marshall takes offense. He is a NBC clone.

BTW, the Fox dope Doocy gets off a great line at Tweety's expense at the end of this video.

By Big Tent Democrat

For a candidate who has sewn up the nomination, Barack Obama sure does badly in some state polls. SUSA Kentucky poll:

Clinton 58
Obama 29

Obama wins 4 out of 5 African American voters. Clinton leads among whites 62-23. 90% of the Dem voters in Kentucky are white. Kentucky's primary is May 20.

By Biog Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

I am for revotes, so right of the bat I do not love this MI proposal:

Under [Rep. Bart] Stupak's [D-MI] formula, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who received 55 percent of the primary vote, would receive 47 delegates. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who pulled his name from Michigan's ballot, would receive 36 delegates. Many Obama supporters in Michigan voted for "uncommitted," which received 40 percent in the primary.

The remaining 73 delegates would be awarded based on the percentage of the popular vote garnered nationwide by Clinton and Obama after the last Democratic presidential primary is completed.

(Emphasis supplied.) If I were Clinton, I would take it. Why? Because it puts focus on the popular vote figure, and likely leads to Michigan's (and probably Florida's) vote count being included in the popular vote count. It probably is a good solution for the Dem Party as well. I am against it myself. Revotes are clearly the best option. There is no reason NOT to have them. Obama will almost certainly oppose this plan.

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

Misery loves company, and I want to welcome Wayne Barrett to the wrath from Obama supporters for telling the truth about revotes in FL/MI:

Since one campaign (Hillary Clinton's) was amenable to redoes, even financing Michigan's, and the other campaign (Barack Obama's) opposed every feasible proposition, it is, in a strange way, true that the two sides weren't collectively ready for a deal.

In all the buzz about the media's pro-Obama tilt, its indifference to his resistance to including these states in the "actual" nominating process is its most disturbing favor, especially since this brand of "conventional politics," as Obama would put it, flies in the face of his contention that "the people" should pick the nominee. Obama's only proposal so far has been to split the delegates evenly, just like he and Michelle parcel out Christmas presents to their two daughters.

Welcome to my hate mail Mr. Barrett. More . . .

Law Professor Ann Althouse examines the enduring flap over whether Barack Obama really was a law professor. (More on that at the end of this post.)

She makes a more important point-- that we shouldn't forget the other 9 exaggerations raised by the Clinton campaign.

1. Obama claimed credit for nuclear leak legislation that never passed.
2. Obama misspoke about his being conceived because of Selma.
3. Sen. Obama took too much credit for his community organizing efforts.
4. Obama's assertion that nobody had indications Rezko was engaging in wrongdoing 'strains credulity.' "
5. Obama was forced to revise his assertion that lobbyists 'won't work in my White House.'
6. 'Selective, embellished and out-of-context quotes from newspapers pump up Obama's health plan.'
7. Sen. Obama said 'I passed a law that put Illinois on a path to universal coverage,' but Obama health care legislation merely set up a task force.
8. 'Obama…seemed to exaggerate the legislative progress he made' on ethics reform.
9. Obama drastically overstated Kansas tornado deaths during campaign appearance.

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By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

I never thought it was possible, but according to this dkos diary (and credit to the Dkos community for bringing this information to the table. I criticize them a lot, but I think they are ahead of everyone on this story), Donna Brazile was wrong about the makeup of the Credentials Committee and Clinton can actually gain a majority on it, and thus seat the existing Florida and Michigan delegations:

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only.

ABCNews' Mary Bruce Reports: Clinton supporter Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell backed this morning Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo's proposal to guarantee a "dream ticket". Cuomo has suggested Obama and Clinton agree now that whoever does not win the nomination will become the vice presidential candidate regardless of the outcome. "Well, I can't speak for Senator Clinton, but I would love that," Rendell said in an exclusive "This Week" interview. "I think that this duo, regardless, is a history-making duo. They are both tremendous candidates. They both would make great executives, and I'd love to see that happen," Rendell said.

Obama supporter Kerry? Not so much:

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

On George Stepanopoulos' show, Ed Rendell represented the Clinton campaign and John Kerry represented the Obama campaign. Here is the video.

It seems clear that the Obama camp has completely backed down from the "Hillary should quit" campaign. That's good. Now they are engaging the the winning metrics. Especially the Michigan and Florida issues. Frankly, I think Kerry did as well as he could with a tough hand. Rendell has become quite adept at this though and he talked "popular vote," the will of the people and MI/FL. For me the Clinton argument is better than the Obama argument. But I have been for revotes forever. An aside, Rendell does a great job asking for a positive campaign when asked about Bosnia. Well done Rendell.

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

The concept of appearance of impartiality seems to be a difficult one for some in the DNC to grasp. Not surprisingly, Josh Marshall is oblivious to how bad this looks:

An ostensibly "neutral" member of the DNC has just taken a side in a fight that could be before the Convention. I can only hope no one plans to appoint her to any committee that has to make a decision at the Convention.