Sykes had criticized conservative GOP legislators for talking boldly about cutting taxes - - proposed unilaterally by sophomore legislator State Rep. Dale Kooyenga, (R-Brookfield) - - or expanding school choice, but now find themselves facing moderate push back from GOP Senate President Mike Ellis (R-Neenah), and others, so compromises are being discussed.
Sykes argued, on behalf of the conservative base, that Kooyenga was without the full support of the Assembly leadership that appeared to crumble before Ellis and other Senate moderates on big tax cuts, or Walker's massive increase in school choice statewide.
Then Vos called in to defend himself, and by the end of the segment at 10 a.m., Sykes had backed Vos down and into a couple of embarrassing dead air moments, unable even to quickly answer a Sykes challenge about which of them had not spoken factually.
Vos ended without defending himself, saying he didn't remember saying Sykes had spoken inaccurately.
I thought Vos had hung up - - he hadn't, he was just thinking and thinking and thinking about his predicament when he had failed promptly to respond to Sykes' challenge, leaving Sykes to say "You're the Speaker of the Assembly....you called into my show."
Yipes.
That's the moment when a caller knows the quicksand is fatal.
After the break, Sykes said a podcast of the Vos interview will be posted shortly.
Sykes also said in closing out the topic that pols should not call his show to "dance and spin" and wondered aloud why Scott Walker hasn't stepped in to lead the Legislature on these issues.
Later, Sykes said criticism of the Governor from the right is tough love.
Not so for Ellis, a long-serving GOP legislator, whom Sykes derided as "King of the Senate."
You don't think the tail wags the dog?
This topic has been discussed often on this blog. One example, here.
