Growth, reform, and safety frame Walker message in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS - Scott Walker claims to be an optimist, but he's troubled enough about the direction the country is headed that the Wisconsin governor is thinking about running for president.

With the right leaders, like reform-minded conservatives such as Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, he said in Cedar Rapids Friday, 'we can make America great again.”

If he runs - Walker plans to decide in June after his state budget is completed, he'll run on a platform of economic growth, entitlement reform, and safety.

Walker, who has stood for election three times in four years, believes he is a Republican who can capture the support of independents without compromising his conservative principles.

'Independents want essentially the same thing as our base does: They want people to lead,” he told more than 100 people at a meet-and-greet with Iowa U.S. Rep. Rod Blum at the Marriott Hotel. 'You don't have to move to the center to win (them) over.”

Unlike President Barack Obama and likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, Walker said he wants to help the private sector rather than the government create jobs by lowering taxes, eliminating burdensome regulations, taking an 'all of the above” approach to developing energy and eliminating Obamacare.

Obama and Clinton 'tend to measure success in government by how many people are dependent on government” - food stamps, unemployment and Medicare, Walker said.

He said in contrast Republicans measure success on how many people are no longer dependent on government, how many people are empowered to take control of their own lives.

'I like his approach, Gary Frederick of Marion said. 'He wants to build people up rather than this trickle-up poverty” of the Obama economy.

'He wants to give people help, but not as a lifestyle,” he said.

Finally, Walker would take the fight to ISIS, a threat he doesn't think Obama takes seriously.

'We need a commander-in-chief in the future who will call it what it is … radical Islamic terrorism is a threat to us all,” he said. 'We need to act and take them out before they take us out.”

Beth and Andy Aalderks of Cedar Rapids liked what they heard, but said they aren't ready to commit to Walker or any candidate at this time.

'I just want to make sure I'm aware of where they are on all of the issues before I make a decision in a couple of years,” Beth Aalderks said.

Andy Aalderks doesn't expect to agree with any candidate 100 percent of the time, but said he's looking for a 'well-rounded” candidate who will deliver a 'slight course correction.”

After an 18-minute speech and visiting with the audience, Walker told reporters the nation's immigration policies should prioritize American workers and wages. The discussion starts with securing the nation's borders to prevent illegal immigration.

Beyond that, the U.S. needs a 'legal immigration system that effectively puts the economy at the forefront of criteria and make sure that our No. 1 priority is the American worker … American wages.”

When unemployment was high, he said, 'It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to flood the marketplace with a whole bunch of new workers.”

As the economy improves, Walker said, it would make sense to allow more immigrants to enter the country.

Walker also visited the Quad Cities Friday and headlined a five-county northwest Iowa GOP rally. Saturday, he will be at the Iowa Faith & Freedom forum in Waukee.