Scott Walker has gotten himself into so many twists when it comes to immigration, he could work at Cirque du Soleil if the whole President thing doesn’t pan out.
Walker was back in contortionist mode today, telling reporters, “I’m not taking a position on [birthright citizenship] one way or the other.” But it was just four days ago when he told MSNBC’s Kasie Hunt that tossing out the 14th Amendment — which grants citizenship to children born on American soil — had the thumbs-up from him:
KASIE HUNT: Do you think that birthright citizenship should be ended?
SCOTT WALKER: Well, like I said, Harry Reid said it’s not right for this country — I think that’s something we should, yeah, absolutely, going forward —
HUNT: We should end birthright citizenship?
WALKER: Yeah, to me it’s about enforcing the laws in this country. And I’ve been very clear, I think you enforce the laws, and I think it’s important to send a message that we’re going to enforce the laws, no matter how people come here we’re going to enforce the laws in this country.
The reason for Walker’s new position? He needed a siesta:
Scott Walker was tired from “hours” of interviews when he said that fellow contender Donald Trump’s plan to end birthright citizenship was “very similar” to the immigration position that Walker supported as Wisconsin governor, according to an interview on Friday with CNBC correspondent John Harwood. Now, Walker says he doesn’t have a stance on the topic.
As for the rest of Walker’s immigration positions, grab the GPS because we’re gonna go all over the place:
In general, when it comes to a policy position on immigration, Walker just hasn’t figured out where he lands. As county executive in Milwaukee County between 2002 and 2006, he twice signed resolutions backing programs that would have granted legal status to undocumented immigrants. He told the Wausau Daily Herald editorial board in 2013 that “it makes sense” for some immigrants to get on a pathway to citizenship “with the right penalties and waiting periods and meet the requirements.” Some donors say that he privately told them that he supported a pathway to citizenship, though his spokesperson has consistently denied that.
