WASHINGTON (CNN) — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is promising to “wreak havoc” on Washington if elected, sharpening his message at a time when he is struggling to find a foothold in the crowded Republican field.
Walker is scheduled to make that pledge Thursday in a speech at Eureka College in Illinois, the alma mater of Republican idol Ronald Reagan. He rolled out the new line in New Hampshire this week, after he led a Labor Day motorcycle ride through the state and was dogged by questions about his slide in the polls.
“President Reagan once said that we needed to drain the swamp in Washington. But since he left, the swamp has filled up again. We cannot expect those from Washington to fix it. It’s time to wreak havoc on the status quo in Washington and put everyday Americans back in charge,” Walker said in an excerpt of the speech pushed early on Wednesday.
He also unveiled a new “Day One” website Wednesday, repackaging previous campaign promises in starker terms than he had before.
Walker has tumbled from the top spot in Iowa and struggled in national polls following a flat debate performance last month and a series of blunders that raised old questions of whether he was thoroughly tested.
But some supporters have said that he will succeed if he can look past real estate mogul Donald Trump and tell his story effectively. Walker’s affiliated super PAC announced last week that it was buying $9.25 million in airtime in Iowa, Nevada and South Carolina, adding to $7 million it had already planned for Iowa.
