Friday, May 31, 2013

Sykes Crushes Vos - - On The Air

GOP Assembly Speaker and talk radio amateur Robin Vos, (R-Burlington), committed a cardinal PR error this morning by calling unprepared into righty Charlie Sykes' WTMJ-AM morning show.

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.




6 comments:

Anonymous said...

So Sykes finally sees that Vos -- Goebbels of the WisGOP -- has been using him as a "tool".

Jake formerly of the LP said...

How hilarious to hear Sykes claim he doesn't allow policies to "Dance and spin" when he's allowed his boy Scotty to do that for the last decade.

And on a related note, doesn't Vos know he should script his interview with Sykes' staff ahead of time, like we know Scotty does with the folks on 620 and 1130. More proof that Vos is an arrogant fool who's not ready for prime time. Maybe he should ask Michelle how this gAme is played

Bill Kurtz said...

Charlie wonders why Walker isn't leadin...
Here's my theory: Walker is a Johnny one-note, the only issue that motivates him is cutting taxes and spending. Beyond that, he only expends effort on measures that settle old scores from his days as county executive (Act 10, the county board emasculation) or pay off groups that backed him (too many to list).
Otherwise, Walker just sits back, and gives the Kooyengas and Voses a green light to push their pet ideas. He'll sign them if they can get them through, but he won't stick his neck out. Too busy running for president.

Anonymous said...

So Vos doesn't give a hoot about billion$ structural deficits?

James Rowen said...

I think he said it was an accounting thing only.

Jake formerly of the LP said...

"Reagan proves deficits don't matter." -Dick Cheney.

Deficits are the ultimate IOKIYAR issue. The GOPs shed all these crocodile tears when a Dem exec has deficits happen (or be inherited) on their watch, but when a Republican gets into power, they cut taxes and funnel spending to their causes, which causes even MORE of a deficit.

This has the bonus of having things be FUBARed so it takes much longer to fix when a Dem had to cone in and clean up their mess. And that's definitely part of the plan for Walker's puppetmasters