Mitt Romney's vagueness on immigration, among other issues, may keep the spotlight off his own proposals, and keep the public's focus on President Obama's decisions.

REUTERS

n Tuesday, Mitt Romney denied that he was referring to Palestinian culture when he claimed earlier this week that "culture makes all the difference" in the economic success of a country. Palestinian leaders have accused Romney of being racist for implicitly suggesting that Israel's unique culture has been the source of its economic superiority over the Palestinian territories, which have long been under an Israeli military occupation that has severely crimped trade, industry, and other forms of economic activity. Romney told Fox News that he had not been speaking about Palestinian culture, but that he did believe "that the choices a society makes have a profound impact on the economy and the vitality of that society." His remarks came at the end of a widely panned international tour to Great Britain, Israel, and Poland that has been marked by perceived missteps and insults on Romney's part.