Madison Mayor Paul Soglin says he called Republican U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy a moron to spark talks with GOP legislators about public investments.
Duffy called Madison a communist community in a recent interview. Soglin responded by calling Duffy a moron, a liar and a charlatan.
Soglin said during a news conference Friday that he's frustrated with Republican ideology. He called Duffy names to "escalate" the discussion and "really get the conflicting values out there."
He said he hopes the episode will lead to discussions with Republicans about making bigger investments in roads, public schools and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He wants to start with Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who has advocated for raising the gas tax to pay for roads.
Vos and Duffy's spokeswomen didn't immediately return messages.
