Gov. Mitch Daniels stopped in Loogootee and Washington on Wednesday as he swung through southern Indiana on a listening tour. Sunday, he stopped in Lincoln City for a bicentennial celebration, and Tuesday, he was at a ground breaking for U.S. 231.

He was at Loogootee High School on Wednesday morning, where he said the students asked him better questions than most adults ask. Around lunch time, he stopped at the Washington Radio Center to speak live on WAMW and record a segment for the Dave Crooks Show to air Saturday.

At a picnic that radio station owner and State Representative Crooks arranged in honor of Daniels’ visit, the governor said he considered his greatest accomplishments in office getting the state’s economy on the path to growth, balancing the budget, addressing the transportation shortfall and improving tax laws without increasing taxes or debt.

“Indiana is now the economic leader in the Midwest,” he said.

He pointed to the ground breaking for construction on U.S. 231, which is three years ahead of schedule and under budget, and upcoming ground breakings for Interstate 69 this summer, which is now being built on an accelerated schedule, as signs of his success.

But these things are only good starts, he said. If he wins another term, Daniels wants to continue putting the economy first but also begin to do a better job with education.

“More money and more discipline in the classroom,” he said.

He also wants to improve the quality of teaching in the state’s schools.

Daniels said he is familiar with the 21st Century Learning curriculum that North Daviess High School is currently considering. He has been to the first schools in the state to offer the new technology curriculum, and he has found that parents, students and teachers are pleased with it, he said.

In southern Indiana specifically, Daniels said he wants to see more jobs.

“Crane has so much ... potential,” he said.

He also pointed to clean coal technology to manufacture fuel for vehicles and natural gas — technology that could easily happen in southern Indiana with Duke Energy’s clean coal gasification electric power project near Edwardsport.

Daniels said he wants to run an open and truthful campaign against Democrat challenger Jill Long-Thompson this fall.

“We’ll play with our cards up,” he said of his campaign. “We’re people of change; there’s no question about that. ... We’re very earnest about doing what we say.”

On the air Wednesday, Crooks and Daniels bantered about the differences they’ve had during the past four years over outsourcing and roads, among other things, and Daniels talked about the progress of I-69.