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Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker on Monday joined the list of politicians who've deflected this question from Michigan reporters: Would you have supported the U.S. loans to General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC to get through their 2009 bankruptcies?

“That's a hypothetical question in the past. We're going to talk about the future,” Walker said after speaking to 120 Lansing Republicans in an Oldsmobile car museum where he touted less government, less taxation, and more U.S. aggression toward Islamists in the Middle East. It was the first of two appearances Walker planned in Michigan as part of a national tour to build support and money as he explores a presidential run. He was scheduled later to speak to Republicans in Oakland County, the state's second largest county.

“In the Midwest, there's a sense people want someone who's a fighter, someone who can work hard for them,” Walker told reporters in Lansing. Michigan has voted Democratic for presidents since Bill Clinton in 1992. Michigan's 2016 presidential primary is March 8.

Walker met privately in Lansing with 10 elected officials and business representatives. Republican state Senator Rick Jones said he would endorse Walker, after meeting him for the first time.

“I believe there's Bush fatigue in this country,” Jones said in an interview. “Scott Walker has had to fight the tough battles and he's won every one. He's the kind of guy we need as leader.”