That interpretation at best offers a thin layer of (not very) plausible deniability. Even if the word "petition" was used, as a politician with decades of exp

That interpretation at best offers a thin layer of (not very) plausible deniability. Even if the word "petition" was used, as a politician with decades of experience, Rohrabacher wouldn't even have brought the topic up unless the expectation was that the petition would succeed.