'This Week' Transcript: Gov. Scott Walker

— -- ANNOUNCER: ABC's This Week. It's Super Bowl Sunday and the countdown is on. Just hours to go until the biggest game of the year. And we're going behind the scenes. The intense new security measures officials are taking right now.

Measles outbreak: the frightening new cases this weekend. Are thousands now at risk? How can this scare be contained.

2016 shocker: Mitt Romney is not running. What that means for the other GOP contenders. Our exclusive interview with the man some say could now be 2016's biggest surprise.

From ABC News, This Week with George Stephanopoulos begins now.

MARTHA RADDATZ, HOST: Good morning. I'm Martha Raddatz. And we are just hours away from the Super Bowl kickoff. Up to a million visitors flocking to Arizona for the festivities.

Right now, final security preparations. Authorities are taking no chances with incredible measures in place throughout the Phoenix area.

ABC's Pierre Thomas has an inside look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PIERRE THOMAS, ABC NEWS CORRESPONDENT: As more than 65,000 fans head to the Super Bowl today, many will be greeted by specialized teams of bomb sniffing dogs and officers wearing these radiation detectors.

Everything tracked by surveillance cameras feeding into this command center. Undercover officers posing as fans among the crowds, SWAT teams nearby.

No specific credible threat has been identified, but there's growing concern about so-called lone wolves radicalized on the internet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have more concerns about domestic-based acts of violence inspired by things people may see or read on the internet.

THOMAS: So nothing left to chance.

Every item delivered to Super Bowl stadium, more than 14,000 trucks worth, has been screened. These massive homeland security x-ray trucks allow this officer to see everything inside.

Everything gets checked out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got the porta potties. We've got everything: food, hotdogs, hamburgers, the NFL paraphernalia.

THOMAS: So bottom line, what are you looking for?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're looking for any weapons. Any bombs, any weapons of mass destruction.

Today above the stadium, a squadron of air power to enforce a 30 mile ring of restricted air space.

As I got on board this U.S. Customs Blackhawk helicopter it was clear authorities are deadly series.

To the people that would say, oh, this is all overkill. You don't need all these assets to protect the game, what's your response?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You never know. You've got to be prepared.

THOMAS: Any rogue aircraft that fails to respond, could be shot down by fighter jets like the one I flew in before last year's Super Bowl.

We caught up with the homeland security secretary exclusively as he came to personally inspect the protection plan.

Mr. Secretary, I see that pretty big sign. Is that how you're trying to frame security here?

JEH JOHNSON, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We want the public engaged in our efforts. We want public participation, public vigilance.

THOMAS: As for that other huge security story Deflategate?

Have you been asked to do any security on the footballs?

JOHNSON: No. Nor do I have a team I'm rooting for. I'm rooting for a safe and successful event.

THOMAS: For This Week, Pierre Thomas, ABC News, Glendale, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RADDATZ: All right, thanks to Pierre.

Now let's bring in Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. Good morning, governor. A great day for the state of Arizona.

But you heard Pierre's piece right there. Do you have any concerns, any last minute concerns?

DOUG DUCEY, GOVERNOR OF ARIZONA: Well, good morning, Martha. We're really excited for the Super Bowl. We're very prepared here. We've met with Jeh Johnson, homeland security, cabinet secretary this week. And we're working with federal, state and local officials. So we're prepared. We think it's going to be a great day. It's been a great week.

We kicked off with the Pro Bowl last week. We've had the Phoenix Open this entire week. So it's going to be a safe and excellent day for the state of Arizona.

RADDATZ: I just want to bring up the measles outbreak, however. You've got about 1,000 people potentially exposed. Any extra measures because of the measles for people going to the Super Bowl?

DUCEY: Well, we've -- we're working with our health services here in Arizona both county and local. And like I said, we're working also with all the law enforcement agencies so that we make sure people are safe. But we're monitoring that situation and we're on the case.

We feel good about where we are right now. We're ready for a great day here.

RADDATZ: And we're going to have more about the measles in a moment. But I want to go to the so-called Deflategate. Your Arizona Senator John McCain says there is a cloud over the game because of the controversy over Deflategate and how the NFL handled it. Do you agree with him?

DUCEY: Oh, I don't think there's -- this is going to be a great game. I think we have the best team from the NFC, we have the best team from the AFC. I think this stacks up for a great game. I think the oddsmakers have said this is a pick 'em game. So we think it's going to be a great show and we're excited. The whole world is going to be watching this game. And Arizona is the center of the sports universe today. And we're excited to host it.

RADDATZ: So no cloud over the game at all because of Deflategate? You don't think it should have been taken care of before the game?

DUCEY: Oh, listen, America loves the NFL, the Super Bowl. This will be the most watched game in the history of the NFL. Let's let the players take care of it on the field. That's how I look at it.

RADDATZ: And governor, any predictions?

DUCEY: Well, it's going to be -- I'm a Cardinals fan, so I'm rooting for a great game. So no prediction here except that it's going to be a safe, wonderful game.

RADDATZ: And we all hope the same. It will be a great game. Thanks Governor Ducey.

So much attention this week on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's big press conference. He broke his silence on Deflategate. But didn't do much to silence his critics. So how do the players feel about all of this?

Let's bring in George Atallah from the NFL Players Association. Thanks for joining us.

I want to go back to the deflated footballs as well. Should they have tried to get this settled before the Super Bowl?

GEORGE ATALLAH, NFL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION: Not really. The collective bargaining process is ongoing. Us, as a union, we always look for ways to improve our relationship with the NFL. And obviously that process continues even beyond what happened in the contract in 2011.

You know, and most NFL fans know, we implemented a new drug policy just recently in 2014 that was a result of a long three year collective bargaining process. And that's what we'll continue to do if we see that there are issues that need to be changed.

RADDATZ: Your union advised players not to discuss Deflategate while it was going on, but Seahawks Richard Sherman said he didn't think the Patriots would be punished because Goodell is close to the Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Should he be fined for questioning the commissioner's integrity?

ATALLAH: Well, no. I think Richard Sherman is one of our union reps, actually. He was voted by his teammates to be the rep of that team. He's very outspoken as most of NFL fans know. And I think he's speaking his mind on the business of football. We always encourage players to speak out about how they're feeling and what they're thinking with respect to their business beyond what happens on first down and second down. And I think we're proud of that as a union to have outspoken leaders who are able to talk about their business in a constructive and thoughtful way.

RADDATZ: OK. And someone who is not so outspoken. Marshawn Lynch this week came before the media as he is required to do, but we all know he didn't say much. He just came out so he wouldn't get fined.

Is this to the degree of silliness now? Should he really have to do this?

ATALLAH: Is the question again should Marshawn be obligated to do the interviews? It's not coming through clearly, I'm sorry.

RADDATZ: Is it beginning to be silly? Is it beginning to be silly? Should he be required?

ATALLAH: Well, I think part -- well, he has an obligation to make himself available to the media. I think that he this week has done that in his own way. You heard some of his remarks on Thursday, the last day the players were interviewed about why he feels a certain way about being interviewed.

And again it's making sure that he is available to the media. He has fulfilled his obligations. And obviously us as a union we just support him in a way to make sure that that happens.

RADDATZ: I want to take a look at all of the controversies in the NFL this year, and it's a very long list -- Ray Rice domestic violence case, Adrian Peterson child abuse, Aaron Hernandez murder trial, concussion crisis and settlement. Are you confident in Roger Goodell's leadership in these issues?

ATALLAH: I don't have the luxury to be Roger Goodell's boss. He has 31 other bosses with the Green Bay Packers being owned by the great fans of that team, of that city. So for me we just want to be in a position to obviously react whenever the league violates the collective bargaining agreement. We have to be there to protect our players' rights. We make no apologies for that.

We would obviously love to have a better working relationship with the NFL. But part of that is their choice and the decisions that they've made to violate what's in our collective bargaining agreement, put the union in a position to stand up and fight for the rights of our players. And that's what we'll continue to do.

And I think today obviously we've got a great game. The stadium is right behind me. We're excited to be here in a couple of hours. The focus for those four hours is going to be on the game. And then once that game ends, we'll look to hopefully in the offseason fix some of these issues that we've got and make it a better business for our fans, for our players and for our sponsors.

RADDATZ: OK. Thanks very much Mr. Atallah. It will be a great game.

Now to that measles outbreak. The latest case in New York City where a college student in Penn Station potentially put thousands of commuters at risk for the contagious virus by riding an Amtrak train.

Take a look at the scope of all of this nationally: 84 measles cases reported across 14 states so far and health officials now have urgent warnings for those who refuse the vaccine.

Here's chief medical editor Dr. Richard Besser.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. RICHARD BESSER, ABC NEWS CHIEF HEALTH AND MEDICAL EDITOR (voice-over): When 3-year-old Uriah Krueger showed up with a telltale rash a few weeks ago, no one was more taken aback than his mother.

KELLIE KRUEGER, URIAH'S MOM: When they told us it was measles, it was such a weird kind of old-fashioned thing, like who gets measles? And then he had his vaccination and so it was a little bit shocking to find out that he still had gotten measles.

BESSER (voice-over): In rare cases like Uriah's, the vaccine doesn't work. He made a full recovery. But his story may become more common.

A tiny minority of parents has made vaccinations a controversy.

Ever since 1998, when a now discredited study claimed autism was tied to vaccines, some parents have opted out of the shots or have chosen to delay them, worried more about vaccine side effects than the diseases they prevent.

Dottie Hagmeyer (ph) started her children on the normal vaccine schedule but stopped, worrying that there were just too many shots.

DOTTIE HAGMEYER (PH): My biggest concern is the amount of vaccines that our children are now subjected to which are -- they get 69 vaccines by the time they're 18 years old. It's double the rate that it was back 30 years ago and there's been no long-term studies to see -- to say whether or not these are actually truly safe for our children.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): The most compelling study that finds no connection between autism and the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella.

BESSER (voice-over): Even though the study linking vaccines and autism was debunked, even called fraudulent, and no other link has ever been established, the anti-vaxers (ph), as they're sometimes called, still have concerns.

But Dr. Stuart Cohen (ph), like many pediatricians, had decided he just won't treat families who don't get their kids vaccinated.

DR. STUART COHEN (PH), PEDIATRICIAN: I'm drawing a line in the sand.

BESSER: Isn't it a parent's right to vaccinate their child or not vaccinate their child?

COHEN: Would you send your teen out to drive a car without wearing a seat belt?

Would you go out on a boating trip with your family and decide who wants to wear a life jacket and who doesn't?

That's like playing Russian roulette.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RADDATZ: Dr. Besser joins us now and in Atlanta we're joined by Dr. Tom Frieden, the director of the CDC.

Dr. Frieden, I want to start with you; 25 years ago, you were in charge of fighting a measles outbreak in New York City and during that period, a major part of the problem was believed to be in poor communities because the people didn't know the importance of vaccines. It seems very, very different today.

DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN, DIRECTOR, CDC: It is a different world. I've taken care of kids with measles. It's a serious disease and it would be terrible if we have preventable illness, even death, from this disease that's preventable with a safe and effective vaccine.

What we've done is eliminate the economic barriers to vaccination through the Vaccines for Children program. But now we're seeing other barriers as parents are concerned, as your story showed, about the safety of the vaccines.

And yet I make sure that my kids are vaccinated. We've had over 1 billion vaccines given. And the study after study has shown that there are no negative long-term consequences. And in fact, 92 percent of kids are vaccinated and if you look at the kids who aren't vaccinated, most of their parents don't have very strong feelings; they're just concerned that maybe measles isn't around anymore or maybe their kid shouldn't get one more shot.

But measles is around. And the more kids who are not vaccinated, the more they're at risk and the more they put their neighbors' kids at risk as well.

RADDATZ: And Dr. Besser, a lot of people just don't seem to be listening to that advice. I looked at social media in the last couple of days; people who do not want their children to be vaccinated or get vaccinated themselves seem to be digging in their heels.

BESSER: They really are. And you hear the same arguments over and over again.

But as Dr. Frieden was saying, measles can be a very serious illness. I've seen cases of measles -- thankfully, it's been decades -- but before were vaccinating against measles, every year there were 500 children in the U.S. who died from measles; still around the world, more than 100,000 die every year from measles -- and it's preventable.

RADDATZ: Dr. Frieden, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said this week that it is a parental decision.

The president, of course, supports vaccines, but he said it's a parental decision.

What happens when one parental decision, however, puts other kids at risk?

FRIEDEN: We are all connected. Everyone of the measles cases in the U.S. currently ultimately comes from somewhere around the world. A couple of years ago we had cases largely from France; more recently from Philippines. We're not sure where the current Disneyland associated outbreak started.

But a traveler went to somewhere in the world, got exposed to measles, came back, got it and spread it.

In the same way, in a community, if many kids are vaccinated, then kids who can't be vaccinated, those who have immune problems, are at real risk of getting severely ill from measles.

(CROSSTALK)

FRIEDEN: -- do to your own kids, what you do for your own kids doesn't just affect your family. It affects other families as well.

RADDATZ: And Dr. Besser, that's also a point.

What about these infants?

Who protects infants? They're certainly not making up their own minds.

Should the government really try to require this?

Should they keep kids out of school?

BESSER: It used to be that the only children at school who weren't vaccinated were those who had true medical contraindications. They may have an immune problem and couldn't get vaccinated.

Now there are 19 states that allow personal belief exemptions. And I think that that is wrong.

You know, I used to not see children in my clinic who would not be vaccinated. But I've changed my mind and now I try and use that encounter with parents to build trust, to get them to understand why we vaccinate, how it protects their children as well as those in the community.

And I don't think our public schools should let children in simply because their parents choose not to vaccinate.

RADDATZ: Thank you very much, Dr. Besser and Dr. Frieden.

Coming up, another barbaric ISIS execution. So should the U.S. and other countries try to negotiate with terrorists to save hostages?

And our exclusive interview with Wisconsin governor Scott Walker. Is he ready to announce a White House run?

And the good news he's getting right now from a key state in 2016. Is he the new GOP front-runner?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

RADDATZ: Now our closer look and the news today that ISIS has beheaded another hostage, a Japanese journalist. It comes after the jihadist group demanded money then a prisoner swap to free him. It's a dilemma for authorities.

Should the U.S. or other countries negotiate with terrorists to try and save hostages?

Let's bring in chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross, who has all the latest on this.

Good morning, Brian.

BRIAN ROSS, ABC NEWS CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Martha.

The gruesome video showing the severed head of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto came 48 hours after the deadline ISIS had set for a prisoner swap with Jordan, what many U.S. officials said was the inevitable outcome of trying to deal with the terror group.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSS (voice-over): Outrage this morning in Japan over the murder of Kenji Goto. Many here thought the emotional pleas of his mother and family might save him, including this audio message from his wife about their two young daughters.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

GOTO'S WIFE: (INAUDIBLE).

(END AUDIO CLIP)

ROSS: But ISIS once again showed no mercy, only brutality. And now questions about the decision of the king of Jordan to negotiate with the terror group in the first place giving them a propaganda victory at the very least.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Being dealt with as a state by a state, Jordan to ISIS, further increases its standing and makes it easier for it to recruit.

ROSS: The U.S. was quick to criticize Jordan, albeit diplomatically.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our policy is that we don't pay ransom, we don't give concessions to other -- to terrorist organizations.

ROSS: Except when it does. The U.S. last year negotiated with the Taliban in Afghanistan, long considered a terror group, for the release of captured U.S. army sergeant Bowe Bergdahl leading to a strained effort by the White House this week to redefine the Taliban in an exchange with ABC's Jon Karl.

JON KARL, ABC NEWS: So if I'm hearing you correctly, you're saying that the Taliban engages in, quote, tactics akin to terrorism, but you don't actually consider them a terrorist group.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have a different classification.

ROSS: But the U.S. has not negotiated with ISIS as three U.S. citizens have been paraded in front of cameras and then beheaded. The parents of hostage James Foley later complained that a White House military aid threatened to prosecute them if they tried to raise a ransom for their son.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was surprised that there was so little compassion. These folks talking to us had no idea what it was like to be the family of a kidnapped American.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROSS: President Obama has ordered a government-wide review of how it handles such hostage situations. But the White House says one thing that is not being reviewed is the U.S. policy of no negotiations, no ransom, no concessions with terror groups, Martha.

RADDATZ: Thanks very much, Brian.

Let's dig into this now with our experts. Brad Garrett is a former FBI agent who has negotiated with terrorists overseas, including obtaining confessions.

And Dane Egli was senior hostage adviser on President George W. Bush's national security council. His job included tracking all hostage hijacking and kidnapping cases involving U.S. citizens.

You heard Brian say that the U.S. policy for no concessions, no negotiations, no reward will not change. But they are reviewing this policy. Do you think it should change.

DANE EGLI, FRM. HOSTAGE ADVISER: Absolutely not. We must hold our ground. We cannot recognize them in this way, give them legitimacy. Recognition is what they want. It's all about money. They want to sustain their operations. They must have hard cash to keep it going.

RADDATZ: And Brad, you have negotiated. We said that leading up to it. You have negotiated with terrorists. So where is the disconnect here? You were working for the FBI at the time.

BRAD GARRETT, FRM. FBI NEGOTIATOR: Exactly.

I think the big difference is the following, you don't really know what people want or what they need or where their position is unless you talk to them. Now granted, you can't walk in the door and talk to ISIS, but you can get intermediaries to talk to them.

I'm only suggesting that the more you talk, the more information you have, you can make better choices as to what you're going to do next.

RADDATZ: And are you saying you shouldn't talk to them?

EGLI: No. Absolutely not. You do talk to them. But you keep all options on the table.

If you're going to appease the wolf at the door with candy, you better have a large candy jar, because they will continue to push you and...

RADDATZ: But aren't there ways around it? David Rohde who was held hostage -- the reporter David Rohde who was held hostage by the Haqqanis, basically said money is changing hands around the world. It may not be from governments, but they get it somehow. So shouldn't there be some coming together of this type of thing?

GARRETT: Of course. And there is.

I mean, the reality is that we don't talk to terrorists is just silly. Now do we pay them money on the front end? We typically don't, the U.S., but we do it other ways, like for example, during the Iran embassy situation in Tehran, President Carter released $8 billion in assets to get the folks released.

This is -- you know, this is a lot of horse trading in reality that goes on in these situations. And the public face is many times different than the private reality.

RADDATZ: I want to also talk -- because the Jordanians still have a pilot there who is being held hostage. We exchanged Bowe Bergdahl for five members of the Taliban. Is that OK to do? And is that just one of those things, well, it's the military, never leave a man behind.

EGLI: Highly problematic. I wrote an op-ed back in July foreseeing the challenge with this. If you look at the verbal jujitsu that the White House is trying to portray, and even Secretary of Defense Hagel this week that if you don't have consensus within the inner agency, this is problematic.

And we have a deep rooted tradition of not trading, not giving concessions. And this certainly looks like it to the American public.

RADDATZ: Just very quickly, Brad, because you mentioned ISIS and reaching out to ISIS, this is a whole different ballgame.

GARRETT: Of course it is, Martha. And I'm not suggesting we can actually negotiate with ISIS. But you have to communicate with people. Just because we consider them evil, and they are, doesn't mean we shouldn't talk to them in some form or fashion, because that's how you gain more information, that's how you figure out where are they really? Who do they send to the meeting to talk to your intermediary? Where is the meeting? All of those things that were important as to you and your strategy as you go down the road either with ISIS or either with other groups.

RADDATZ: Thanks very much to both of you. Very interesting.

Coming up, our exclusive interview with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. His moves against labor unions infuriated Democrats. Now why some high profile conservatives say he could be a 2016 surprise, perhaps even the front runner. Back with Scott Walker live in just two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

RADDATZ: Now our exclusive interview with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. There he is speaking to Iowa Republicans last weekend as part of the unofficial kickoff to 2016. And it's looking like that appearance was a success. Check out these brand new poll numbers this morning in an Iowa survey from the Des Moines register and Bloomberg, Walker is now the top GOP pick among likely caucus goers. He jump from just 4 percentage points back in October.

And in our Facebook centimeter (ph), look at how his buzz online jumped after that speech in Iowa.

Governor Walker is our exclusive live guest after this from ABC's Jonathan Karl.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL: He's the one who took on the labor unions in a fight that gave birth to the Occupy movement.

Now Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker hopes to stand out among a crowded field of 2016 hopefuls.

SCOTT WALKER, GOVERNOR OF WISCONSIN: In America, we value our independence from the government, not our dependence on it.

KARL: He got rave reviews at last week's freedom summit in Iowa.

That sounded like a presidential campaign speech, or at least the beginning of one.

WALKER: Oh, we've been testing in Wisconsin, there's no doubt about that. And we're looking for good leadership and we'll see what the future holds.

KARL: And has become the newest favorite of the conservative media.

RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO SHOW HOST: Scott Walker wowed them in Iowa. He is the blueprint for the Republican Party. Scott Walker has shown how to do it.

KARL: Walker won three elections in just four years in Wisconsin, a state that hasn't voted Republican in a presidential election in over three decades.

Back in 2013, he told me the next Republican nominee should be somebody, well, like Scott Walker.

So describe to me the ideal Republican presidential candidate in 2016.

WALKER: I think both the presidential and the vice presidential nominee should either be a former or current governor. You can't reform Washington from within.

KARL: For This Week, Jonathan Karl, ABC News, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RADDATZ: Thanks to Jon.

And joining us now, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Welcome, Governor.

WALKER: Thanks, Martha. Thanks for having me on.

RADDATZ: Mitt Romney dropping out this week said, "I believe that one of our next generation of Republican leaders who may not be as well known may well emerge as being better able to defeat the Democrat nominee." Is he talking about you?

WALKER: I think there's a whole number of people. I mean, folks like my friend Marco Rubio I think fit that bill as well, but I think what he's heard is what I've heard across the country, is that people want new, fresh leadership with big, bold ideas, and the courage to act on it. And if we're going to take on a name from the past, which is likely to be former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, I think for the party we need a name from the future.

RADDATZ: But how do you stand out in that enormous field of GOP hopefuls?

WALKER: I think as your introduction showed, I mean, people can say something - you can give speeches all you want, but I think what we have is not only amongst Republican voters, but in our state, even with independents, people want people to lead. They don't need to agree with you 100 percent of the time on every issue, but they are so sick and tired of politicians in both parties, particularly in Washington, who say one thing on the campaign trail and do something else. I think those 100,000 protesters four years ago who came in and around our capitol showed, if we think we're doing the right thing for the people, it doesn't matter what the intimidation factor is. We'll stand up and stand up for them.

RADDATZ: OK, but as you've seen on our show today, there are enormous foreign policy challenges going ahead, which the next president will inherit. One of your potential rivals for the GOP nomination, Senator Marco Rubio, said a governor with eyes on the presidency could acquire a global strategic vision, but that taking a trip to some foreign city for two days does not make you Henry Kissinger. I think you met with Henry Kissinger yesterday. But what would you say in response to Governor Rubio?

WALKER: I did actually have the honor --

RADDATZ: Senator Rubio, sorry.

WALKER: No, no, Marco is a great guy. I think the senator has got great vision. I look at actually this weekend got to see not only Henry Kissinger, but former Secretary of State George Shultz, (inaudible), and even Madeleine Albright, who I think very highly of on foreign affairs. Governors don't just take trips. As a governor, I've had risk assessments given to me by the FBI and my adjutant general about threats not only in my state, but around the country. That is one of the reasons why I'm so worried about the future, not just of our country, our world.

RADDATZ: Let's talk about some specific, and you talk about leadership and you talk about big, bold, fresh ideas. What is your big, bold, fresh idea in Syria?

WALKER: Well, I think - I go back to the red line.

RADDATZ: Let's not go back. Let's go forward. What is your big, bold idea in Syria?

WALKER: I think aggressively, we need to take the fight to ISIS and any other radical Islamic terrorist in and around the world, because it's not a matter of when they attempt an attack on American soil, or not if I should say, it's when, and we need leadership that says clearly, not only amongst the United States but amongst our allies, that we're willing to take appropriate action. I think it should be surgical.

RADDATZ: You don't think 2,000 air strikes is taking it to ISIS in Syria and Iraq?

WALKER: I think we need to have an aggressive strategy anywhere around the world. I think it's a mistake to -

(CROSSTALK)

RADDATZ: But what does that mean? I don't know what aggressive strategy means. If we're bombing and we've done 2,000 air strikes, what does an aggressive strategy mean in foreign policy?

WALKER: I think anywhere and everywhere, we have to be - go beyond just aggressive air strikes. We have to look at other surgical methods. And ultimately, we have to be prepared to put boots on the ground if that's what it takes, because I think, you know--

RADDATZ: Boots on the ground in Syria? U.S. boots on the ground in Syria?

WALKER: I don't think that is an immediate plan, but I think anywhere in the world--

RADDATZ: But you would not rule that out.

WALKER: I wouldn't rule anything out. I think when you have the lives of Americans at stake and our freedom loving allies anywhere in the world, we have to be prepared to do things that don't allow those measures, those attacks, those abuses to come to our shores.

RADDATZ: Let me turn to domestic issues and immigration. We know you want to fix the border and fix the immigration system, but what would you do about the 11 million undocumented who are still here?

WALKER: I think for sure, we need to secure the border. I think we need to enforce the legal system. I'm not for amnesty, I'm not an advocate of the plans that have been pushed here in Washington, and I think should I become a candidate, because I'm not yet, it's part of the exploratory process here, that is something we're going to lay out, plans for the future. But we've got to have a healthy balance. We're a country both of immigrants and of laws. We can't ignore the laws in this country, can't ignore the people who come in, whether it's from Mexico or Central America.

RADDATZ: But is deporting them possible?

(CROSSTALK)

WALKER: That's not what I'm advocating as well, but I do -

RADDATZ: You're not advocating?

WALKER: I am saying in the end, we need to enforce the laws in the United States, and we need to find a way for people to have a legitimate legal immigration system in this country, and that does not mean amnesty.

RADDATZ: The Republican nominee could be in a race against Hillary Clinton. Let's just say it's you. What would you say to Hillary Clinton? What is the best case against Hillary Clinton?

WALKER: I think the biggest thing I hear from Americans applies both in the primary contest and I think in the general, if I were a candidate and if I ultimately had earned the nomination, and that is I think people want to look to the future. They don't want to go back in time, they don't want to repeat what we've had in the past. We need a candidate not of the 20th century, but of the 21st century. Ironically, that's what her husband brought to the table in 1992 when he-

(CROSSTALK)

RADDATZ: What marks the difference between those two candidates?

WALKER: I think there is a clear difference. I think former Secretary of State Clinton embodies all the things that we think of Washington. She lives here, she's worked here, she's been part of the Washington structure for years. Not just as a Democrat, but across the spectrum. I think Washington represents the top-down, government knows best, go (inaudible) mentality. I think Americans overwhelmingly want fresh new ideas that build the economy from the ground, that put the power back in the hands of the people, not only at the state and local level, but of individual Americans. I don't think they want government telling them what to do, and that's what I've been advocating for a long time.

RADDATZ: I just want to end with, because we're talking about the Super Bowl today and you and I were just talking a little bit about football, you played high school football. Your two sons played high school football.

WALKER: They did. Yes, wide receivers.

RADDATZ: You love football. But when you look at the concussions, when you look at what's happened, can you imagine saying to your grandchildren, yes, go do that?

WALKER: I think in a state like Wisconsin, we actually have pretty good standards. My kids, even a few years ago, one of them had an early concussion, and was out for 10 days. They wouldn't let him back in until he had a full checkup. That actually should have happened a long time ago, and I'm hopeful other states around the country will do that. Because I think all of us, we enjoy, a lot of us enjoy football. I'd enjoy it a whole lot more, as much as I enjoyed talking to you, Martha, I'd enjoy it a lot more if I had-

(CROSSTALK)

RADDATZ: If you were out there in Arizona?

WALKER: -- been in Phoenix watching the Packers take on the Patriots, but I still think, like anything in life, there's ways of doing it that are responsible, and I still think football can be responsible in America.

RADDATZ: One last one, 99 percent chance you'll run?

WALKER: I don't know that I'd take the odds. I'll just tell you one thing. After three elections for governor in four years in a state that hasn't gone Republican since 1984 for president, I wouldn't bet against me on anything.

RADDATZ: Thank you very much for joining us, Governor Walker. Coming up, instant analysis from the roundtable. Who do they think will be most helped by Mitt Romney's surprise announcement? And is Hillary Clinton thinking about delaying her announcement?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

RADDATZ (voice-over): Time for this week's politics buzz board, topping it off, Mitt Romney bows out, announcing he's not running in 2016.

MITT ROMNEY, FORMER GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS: I decided it's best to give other leaders in the party the opportunity to become our next nominee.

RADDATZ (voice-over): So will the big contributors thinking of helping Mitt now move over to Jeb?

Meanwhile, reports Hillary Clinton may wait until summer to formally launch a campaign.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Whatever she wants to do, I'm for. If she decided not to do it, I'd give her the bucket list and we'd go check them off.

RADDATZ (voice-over): While Rand Paul vies for the title of troller-in-chief, zinging Jeb and Hillary in this fake "secret tape".

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): I just wanted to call and give you a heads-up and hopes we could something out?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): What do you mean, Jeb? It's clearly my turn. Bush, Clinton, Bush, now Clinton.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RADDATZ: OK, the roundtable is here: Gwen Ifill, co-host of the "NewsHour" on PBS; Rich Lowry, editor of "National Review"; LZ Granderson from CNN and ESPN and ABC political analyst Matthew Dowd.

Matthew Dowd, I want to start with Romney before we get into Scott Walker. Deciding not to run this week; at one point he clearly thought he was going to -- he thought he was going to win. He took stacks of polling data to meet with Jeb Bush.

What happened?

MATTHEW DOWD, ABC NEWS SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, he first clearly did decided not to run and then it looked like he was clearly decided to run and then obviously ended up not running.

I think he looked at this thing sterilely and clinically and figured out this wasn't going to happen. The third time in this race wasn't going to happen.

I think Mitt Romney (INAUDIBLE) our conversation about the current field. The problem Mitt Romney always had -- and I think he had it with his contributors -- is what was the authentic Mitt Romney?

And this time he was going to run -- as so everybody said -- I'm the authentic Mitt Romney. That's what he was going to do; I think he finally decided this wasn't going to --

(CROSSTALK)

RADDATZ: Hard to do authentic three times and --

(CROSSTALK)

DOWD: Authentic isn't good.

RADDATZ: Gwen, our friend, "The Washington Post" reporter, Dan Balz, wrote this week that this has quickly become the largest prospective field of Republican candidates and the most wide-open nomination contest in the modern history of the party. That caught my --

(CROSSTALK)

RADDATZ: I know you're excited.

GWEN IFILL, PBS HOST: I am.

RADDATZ: Is this as wide-open as it really seems? And you look at a guy like Scott Walker?

IFILL: Well, so it's wide-open. Nobody was talking about Scott Walker a week ago and then he gave that speech in Iowa and then the poll came out. Now everyone's talking about him. And all the people who lined up to say give a little extra money now who were going to give money to Mitt, we're now going to give money to Jeb are now have to pause and look at Scott Walker, too.

And it's not just the three of them. There are 10 more people who all sincerely feel they have a shot because they think Hillary Clinton's gettable. And that -- for that reason, Republicans have to consider all possibilities.

RADDATZ: And Rich, in the "Des Moines Register" this week, speaking of Scott Walker and his good couple of weeks, it said the Wisconsin governor is the number two most popular choice for likely caucus-goers who want an establishment candidate and he's the number two for those who want an anti-establishment candidate, the poll shows.

(CROSSTALK)

RADDATZ: -- sweet spot --

RICH LOWRY, EDITOR, "NATIONAL REVIEW": -- spot to be. If you're going to create the perfect candidate for this nomination battle, on paper, it would be a Midwest governor, has some national profile, has a national fundraising network and some credibility, both with the establishment --

(CROSSTALK)

LOWRY: -- that's the truth. And Scott Walker agrees with me.

RADDATZ: Zing --

LOWRY: The question is, you know, does he have the performative (sic) aspects of this down? Can he scale up his Wisconsin operation nationally? And what is his national policy portfolio?

All that remains to be seen. But there's an enormous amount of goodwill and interest in Scott Walker among the grassroots.

RADDATZ: And, LZ, look at one take on Walker's message, however. "The Atlantic's" Peter Beinart saying he is a retro candidate. Walker concedes nothing to the conventional wisdom about what the GOP must do to compete in a more culturally tolerant, ethnically diverse and economically insecure America. And the GOP faithful love it.

LZ GRANDERSON, JOURNALIST: Well, if you remember, after 2012, one of the first things some Republicans were saying, the reason why he lost was because he weren't conservative enough, that Mitt Romney was too much in the middle. And they almost said the same thing about Senator McCain as well.

So Walker, while it's true, the conventional wisdom may say he needs to be more a big tent, but fact of the matter is there's a large consistency like the Tea Party for instance, that wants someone who reminds them of the good ol' days. Whatever that means to them, they want someone that reminds them of that, and Scott Walker kind of has that energy about him, that aura about him.

RADDATZ: And does that work, Matt Dowd?

DOWD: Well, I think Scott Walker, as Rich said, is in the right now in the perfect spot. We talked on Election Night in November and I said if the Republicans are smart, they would go to the Great Lakes and pick one of the governors from the Great Lakes because it is the battleground now for 2016.

Scott Walker is authentic. You may not agree with him, but he's an authentic guy. It's actually at a premium. He's been a competent governor so he's done that well, both of which has been good.

The question I think Scott Walker has is can he stand the test of a national campaign? Can he straddle both of those things?

It is a sweet spot today; but you get polled and as soon as you start making announcements, you get polled one way or the other. But can Scott Walker come across as hopeful, optimistic, compassionate, that embraces a general election electorate?

That's the question.

LOWRY: The other thing about Walker, the appeal -- and he's involved in current fights. And this is the biggest question I think that Jeb Bush has to answer in this race is why is someone who hasn't run for office since 2002, has basically sat out the entire Obama era, why should he be the new leader of the Republican Party?

(CROSSTALK)

RADDATZ: What does Jeb Bush do (INAUDIBLE)?

DOWD: -- really bad for Jeb Bush. Jeb Bush is fifth in that Iowa poll, when you take out Mitt Romney. And that is a big problem for him.

Will he skip Iowa or not? I think Jeb is going to have to figure out a way to update his resume. He hasn't been around enough; his last name isn't good, both in the Republican primary and in the general election. It's sort of the old -- when the folks want the new.

I think Jeb's in a real test, in my view. And Jeb's test right now is can he build the momentum that forces other people out of --

(CROSSTALK)

IFILL: -- add one more thing on Scott Walker.

Does anybody find it interesting that he referenced Marco Rubio not once, but -- not twice, but maybe three times when he was talking to Martha?

I think when we talk about the big tent and whether the Republican Party can reach out and that's what Jeb is perceived to be able to do, that he recognizes that, too. And there's a reason why he's invoking Marco Rubio. I'm not sure what it is right now, but I (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let us know when you figure it out.

IFILL: I'll let you know.

(LAUGHTER)

RADDATZ: I want to move on to Hillary Clinton. You mentioned Hillary Clinton, of course. There are reports this week also that Hillary Clinton may not announce until --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why bother? Why?

IFILL: The one thing that all -- I remember once Colin Powell said he didn't run for president because he knew the last popular day of his life would be the day before he announced.

You immediately drop. People begin to think, oh, wait; I know you and while you sit mysteriously on the sidelines without any -- as far as we can tell so far -- credible or believable competition, there's no reason to get out yet.

RADDATZ: But you talk about people looking at Hillary Clinton as entitled.

Does this do that to her, if she doesn't jump in until July, can she carry that, oh, she just thinks she has it?

GRANDERSON: There's definitely -- you know, in my reporting, I've definitely found there's a pretty strong voice on the liberal Left side that wants someone else to run, that want Elizabeth Warren to run, because they don't want Hillary.

But with that being said, she knows -- and everyone else basically knows -- that if she decides to run -- and let's assume that she will -- that she's going to probably get the nomination.

And so there's no reason to jump in early when you know --

RADDATZ: Is there a downside, Matthew?

DOWD: The problem when you read about their campaign is they don't want to run an entitled campaign. But oh, by the way, here's our vice presidential nominees that we're thinking about making. It seems conflicted.

I don't think the timing is so much of a problem for her, is I think she has to figure out what is the tone of her campaign? And who is her team? And I think because right now her team looks to be a lot of people that have run all the old campaigns. It looks to me like the old folks of the Hillary world. Her timing -- she can decide any time. And I agree with Gwen, the longer she delays is probably better only if she shows up with the right message, the right tone, and the right team.

Because if she doesn't she's a problem.

GRANDERSON: But she also has an element of history on her side as well. I mean, the opportunity -- and I'm just going to put it out there, the opportunity to vote for the first female president is still a very compelling conversation to have. We just had the first minority elected into it. I don't see why that's not part of the messaging as well.

RADDATZ: Young people say, yeah, it's a great opportunity, but hey, there will be many more to come along.

IFILL: We were excited last time, too, they'll say.

LOWRY: This is a problem, I think. One, it's -- you hit on that key word, entitlement. She could really hurt herself with her own sense of high handedness if she takes this too far. They were floating this week that they might not participate in any primary debates, which would just be a terrible idea. And I just think as a sheer politician, she seems to be much more in the Al Gore category than in the Bill Clinton or Barack Obama category. She's not a natural at this. And I think she's going to have a little trouble connecting with people even as she's making that argument...

RADDATZ: So, could she use a little practice?

IFILL: I may -- of course, we could all use a little practice.

If I recall well, I think when Bill Clinton was running for reelection he also floated he wasn't going to participate. I think there's something about making yourself about it all.

But the most important thing I've ready about the Elizabeth Warren wing of the party, so to speak, is that it's not that she's going to run and it's not that Bernie Sanders is going to be a real threat, but is that they can stir the atmosphere in a way that makes Hillary Clinton change her tone and respond in a way and speak to that part of the party.

You don't have to be a candidate to do that.

RADDATZ: OK, we'll have more in just a minute. But before we go to our break, our Powerhouse puzzler inspired by this...

(CROSSTALK)

RADDATZ: Here is the question. Name the president who performed a Superbowl coin toss via satellite, that narrows it down, from the White House. Right back with the answer.

ANNOUNCER: Catch This Week online all week at ABC News.com, on Facebook and Twitter.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

RADDATZ: OK, which president performed a Superbowl coin toss via satellite?

Let's see who knows their Superbowl history.

DOWD: I said Clinton.

RADDATZ: President Clinton.

Jimmy Carter.

LOWRY: I'm a good conservative. The answer is always Reagan.

RADDATZ: Wow.

IFILL: That means none of us have a clue.

RADDATZ: OK. One person has the correct answer. And here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED LOWRY: Mr. President, would you please toss the coin.

RONALD REAGAN, 40TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It is tails.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RADDATZ: President Reagan's second inauguration happened a day after that coin toss.

I won't anybody who was playing in that game, because I have a feeling a couple of you might know, and I do not.

OK, we're back now with the roundtable. And while we're on football. And LZ, I want to start with you. Look back at the year. Obviously the Superbowl, a great day, so much enthusiasm. But look back at this last year. You saw that long list that we played earlier of what has happened this year. And we have concussions. And we have child abuse charges. And we have domestic abuse. And we have Deflategate. Reflect on that.

GRANDERSON: Well, it's interesting that everyone else -- and everyone else I mean viewers and fans -- are starting to realize what reporters have been talking about for a long time, which is that the athletes, particular those in NFL, seem to be getting away with a lot of things that hadn't really angered people. Like this isn't the first time they NFL has had issues with domestic violence. This isn't the first time that there has been conversations about cheating. This isn't the first time we've talked about concussions. This is only the first time, 2014, in which there was a video that was put in the faces of the American people that registered with them emotionally. And now people are paying attention, really paying attention and not just saying, yeah, OK, but I still want to cheer for my team.

RADDATZ: Do you think things change, Gwen?

IFILL: I don't think so. I think that we're going to see today at the Superbowl that there are tens of thousands, millions of people, who are still willing to put aside everything else they've heard, everything else we've learned about professional football and just enjoy the game and basically don't really want to be bothered by it. They may know, the evidence may be in front of them, but it's almost sad that many Americans just don't want to be bothered with it.

RADDATZ: Do we expect too much from our football players off the field?

LOWRY: Well, I think actually if you look statistically the arrest rates are lower than they are for men their age in the general population. But the Superbowl it's a civic festival now on par with Thanksgiving or July Fourth. It's just unassailable. And any controversy and more conversation no matter what's generating only helps it.

IFILL: That just depresses me.

DOWD: The problem to me -- and you know this, I've said said that I think Roger Goodell should have resigned, because I think the culture that's in place in many different ways is something that he hasn't fixed and has been slow to do. And all those issues you mentioned, he's been incredibly so.

The problem to me is we have 31 owners who basically don't seem to care as long as the cash keeps coming in. They don't seem to want to hold Roger Goodell accountable. They don't seem to really want to do anything about any of these big issues. And until the pocketbook, I guess, because they think the ends justify the means in this, until they're affected by that I'm afraid nothing will get done. So it's the fans ultimately are going to have to put their money down and say we're not doing it anymore.

RADDATZ: And that doesn't look like it's going to change. Quickly, LZ, very quickly.

GRANDERSON: I would just challenge the 31 owners part, it's actually a lot more than that, because the Green Bay Packers are owned by the citizens of the Green Bay...

DOWD: Well, maybe that's why we should...

RADDATZ: And speaking -- OK...

(CROSSTALK)

RADDATZ: Yes, you are. What is this? A cheering section?

OK, very fast predictions. Very fast.

DOWD: Seahawks. I love Marshawn Lynch.

RADDATZ: OK.

GRANDERSON: Patriots. They figure out tough Ds.

LOWRY: As a Yankee fan, I have a soft spot for evil empires, so Patriots by 3.

IFILL: There is some nachos for me somewhere today. And that's all I care about.

RADDATZ: And for New Englander for 12 years I've got to go with the Patriots.

We'll be back after this from our ABC stations.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

RADDATZ: And we end with some good news. The Pentagon did not release any names of service members killed this week in Afghanistan or Iraq.

That's all for us today. Thanks for sharing part of your Sunday with us. Check out World News tonight. And we'll see you back here next week.