Gov. Walker gives preview of RNC speech

WLUK TV

FOX's Mike Lowe

Updated: Aug 28, 2012 5:37 PM

TAMPA, Fla. — Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker will address the Republican National Convention in a prime time speech tonight.

He is one of several conservative governors scheduled to speak. He also just may be the most closely watched.

His recall victory galvanized and energized Republicans and he plans to speak about that experience tonight.

FOX’s Mike Lowe spoke with him one-on-one for a special preview.

“Tomorrow is the biggest speech of your career, what are you going to say?” asked Lowe.

"We're going to talk a little bit about the experience in Wisconsin, how our reforms are working, and how a couple of months ago, voters had a real choice, like they're going to have in America," said Walker. "We're going to talk about how we turn things around -- we've still got more work to be done, but how we've been able to turn things around and how we need a leader like Mitt Romney to do it for the rest of the country."

"This is your fist major national speech since the recall, will you focus more on criticizing President Obama or will you focus more on the Wisconsin story?” asked Lowe.

“More on the Wisconsin story and the contrast, really the only thing I'm going to hone in on that has anything to do with the president, is the economic plight we face 42 months -- unemployment above 8 percent, 23 million of our citizens who are unemployed. It's more of a statement of fact, not a critique as much as saying hay we need help now. We need a leader who can turn things around and I'm going to make the case that that leader is indeed Governor Mitt Romney,” said Walker.

“Is it a difficult case for you to make that the Wisconsin economy is doing well at the same time the President is not doing a good job?" asked Lowe.

"No, I think in our case you even look last month we weren't alone - 44 of the 50 states saw unemployment tick up a little bit just like it did slightly in Wisconsin. It's gotten better. A few years ago under Gov. Doyle, it was 9.2 percent, it's now 7.3 percent so it's better, but we could do so much better if we had the right leadership in Washington that's really the argument I'll make and the argument you'll hear from a lot of the other Republican governors as well,” said Walker.

Walker will take the podium at about 8 p.m. He’ll be able to see his wife who will have a front row seat with the Wisconsin delegation.

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