Walker: Can't speak for Obama or Giuliani

WASHINGTON - Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a leading Republican contender for the White House in 2016, said Saturday that he doesn't know whether President Obama loves his country.

"You should ask the president what he thinks about America," Walker said while in Washington for a weekend meeting of governors. "I've never asked him so I don't know."

On Wednesday, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said at a New York event, with Walker in attendance: "I know this is a horrible thing to say, but I do not believe that the president loves America."

"He doesn't love you. And he doesn't love me. He wasn't brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up through love of this country," said Giuliani, who sought the 2008 GOP presidential nomination. His comments were reported by Politico and the New York Daily News.

Democrats have assailed Giuliani for questioning the Democratic president's love of country, and they urged the potential field of Republican presidential candidates to rebuke Giuliani for his comments.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, another possible 2016 candidate, said he didn't think "it helps to question the president's patriotism or motives." Pence said Giuliani is "a great American" who is "understandably frustrated with a president who lectures us on the Crusades, but seems incapable of calling radical Islamic violence by name."

Walker, who was in the room for Giuliani's initial comments, said Saturday: "Rudy Giuliani is perfectly capable of defending his comments. I know I love America. I know there are plenty of good Americans, Democrats and Republicans and undecideds, who share that same belief."

Asked about Obama's patriotism, however, Walker said, "I'm unqualified to make that statement one way or another because I've never had that conversation with the president."