Wall Street Journal
By Heather Haddon
April 25, 2015
Wisconsin
Gov. Scott Walker on Friday elaborated on his comment that American
workers need protection from legal as well as illegal immigration,
saying that he wants to
ensure that rules for legal immigration make sense for the economy.
“I’m
just suggesting that the pattern set for the future be based on the
economic impact, and that our number one priority be the impact on
American workers,” Mr. Walker
said Friday night in an address at a dinner held by six county
Republican parties.
In
a radio interview earlier this week, Mr. Walker, a likely presidential
candidate, suggested that the country may need to consider additional
restrictions on legal immigration
in order to protect U.S. workers, a more restrictive stance than he’d
taken in the past.
On
Friday, Mr. Walker seemed to acknowledge the controversy over the past
week but said that the U.S. currently restricts legal immigration and
that he only seeks to further
buttress those rules.
Speaking
for more than 30 minutes before the Northwest Iowa Republican
Fundraiser, Mr. Walker talked about increasing border security and
better protecting America from
Islamic militants.
He
drew rounds of applause from the conservative crowd when mentioned the
right-to-work law he signed in Wisconsin, cuts to Planned Parenthood
funding and efforts to impose
voter identification mandates in the state.
Mr.
Walker said that Hillary Clinton, if elected to the White House, would
represent a “third failed term” of President Barack Obama’s policies.
He
also discussed his childhood roots in Iowa and his faith. The son of a
Baptist minister, Mr. Walker thanked Iowa voters who had prayed for him
when he faced a recall
election in Wisconsin, and he asked them to continue.
“The
only thing I ask in return is don’t stop, because we’ve embarked on
this mission,” Mr. Walker said. “We are going to need prayers now more
than ever.”
Mr.
Walker hasn’t declared yet whether he’s running in 2016 and has said
he’ll make a decision sometime in June. He never called himself a
candidate Friday but made references
to greater things lying ahead for him.
“When
you look ahead to 2016, there are some pretty good choices out there,”
said Mr. Walker, who said he intended to return to Iowa later this year.
More
than 300 people paid at least $40 each to attend the fund-raising
dinner, a large turnout for a single candidate this early in the
campaign season, local Republicans
said.
“That’s
an usually large number of people who paid to see him,” said Don Kass,
co-chairman of the Plymouth County GOP. “People usually can see
candidates for free.”
Texas
Gov. Rick Perry spoke before the fundraiser last year, and former
Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum addressed the group in 2013.
This
northwest section of the state is solidly Republican and socially
conservative. Friday’s dinner featured a long prayer dedicated to those
seeking higher office and
those who vote for them. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz came here earlier the
month in his first Iowa stop as a declared presidential candidate.
Local
Republicans said that Mr. Walker had already gained traction in this
part of the state. Mr. Cruz has also drawn interest, as has former
Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly
Fiorina. Others are waiting to see if former Arkansas Gov. Mike
Huckabee and Mr. Santorum are serious about running again.
Some
local Republicans Friday said they wanted a presidential candidate who
focused less on social issues and more on taxes and security.
“I
don’t like that the focus is on abortion and gay marriage,” said Sheryl
Engel, a caucusgoer from Sheldon, who liked Mr. Walker’s speech but
wanted to hear more from
the potential candidates.
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