Mit einer klaren Meinung zu den Einwanderungsgesetzen in Arizona oder zur Entscheidung des Supreme Court, diese weitgehend wieder einzukassieren, mag sich das Lager des republikanischen Präsidentschaftskandidaten Mitt Romney offenbar nicht die Finger verbrennen. Laut einem Statement zu dem Urteil findet es Romney richtig, dass auf Ebene der Staaten Regelungen zur Einwanderung getroffen werden. Während der Vorwahlen hatte er sich bereits in dieser Richtung geäußert und die Obama-Regierung angegriffen, weil sie Arizonas Vorstoß kritisierte. Doch eine echte inhaltliche Äußerung zur Einwanderungsproblematik gibt es bislang nicht, lediglich vage Ankündigungen, die legale Immigration stärken zu wollen – und nun die Einschätzung, das Urteil zeige vor allem den Bedarf für eine umfassende Reform auf. Auf keinen Fall liegt das daran, dass niemand nach einer eindeutigen Position gefragt hätte. Im Gegenteil: Romneys Sprecher Rick Gorka schaffte es nach der Supreme-Court-Entscheidung doch tatsächlich, mehr als 20-mal am Stück die Versuche von Journalisten abzublocken, etwas darüber zu erfahren, was Romney über das Gesetz in Arizona und das Urteil denkt. Ginger Gibson vom Blog Politico hat sich die Mühe gemacht, die Fragerunde zu dokumentieren. Hier nur ein kleiner Auszug:
QUESTION:Does (Romney) support the law as it was drafted in Arizona?
GORKA: „The governor supports the right of states, that’s all we’re going to say on this issue.“
QUESTION: Does he have a position on the law, or no position?
GORKA: „The governor has his own immigration policy that he laid out in Orlando and in the primary, which he would implement as president which would address this issue. Whereas Obama has had four years in the office and has yet to address it in a meaningful way.“
QUESTION: But does the Governor have a position on the Arizona law besides supporting the right of states?
GORKA: „This debate is sprung from the president failing to address this issue, so each state is left and has the power to draft and enact their own immigration policy.“
QUESTION: But the Arizona law does very specific things, does the governor support those things that the Arizona law does?
GORKA: „We’ve addressed this.“
QUESTION: What is his position on the actual law in Arizona?
GORKA: „Again, each state has the right within the Constitution to craft their own immigration laws since the federal government has failed.“
QUESTION: But does he think about the law in Arizona? You’re just talking about the states right to have a law but you’re not giving any position on the actual law.
GORKA: „Ultimately this debate comes back down to the federal government and the president failing to address this. If the president followed through on his campaign promise to address illegal immigration in the first year, this debate wouldn’t be necessary.“
QUESTION: Is it fair to say that he has no opinion on the Arizona law?
GORKA: „Look, again, I’ll say it again and again and again for you. The governor understands that states have their own right to craft policies to secure their own borders and to address illegal immigration.“
QUESTION: You’re not answering – what does he think about the policy in Arizona? Is it fair to say he has no opinion? You’re refusing to give us an answer.
GORKA: „Arizona, like many other states in this nation, take it upon themselves to craft policies for their own specific states. Governor has said repeatedly that states are a laboratory of democracy, what one state crafts may not work in others but ultimately this, again, goes back to the president failing to deliver on his campaign promises. As candidate Obama, he said he would address immigration in the first year and hasn’t and instead put in a stopgap measure four and a half months before the election.“