There are lots of ways a podcast can fall apart.
Creative differences, time and scheduling conflicts, or – in rare, special occasions – your hosts allegedly get into a fistfight!
Thanks to The Ogle Mole Network, we’ve learned that may be what happened to the “Inside the Capitol” podcast hosted by State Reps. Josh West and Trey Caldwell.
According to our Moles, the podcast has not released any new episodes since West and Caldwell allegedly got into a real-life physical altercation – a.k.a. fight – in the House lounge a few weeks ago!
Details are sketchy, but this is what the Ogle Moles are telling me:
• A few weeks back, a group of House Republicans gathered for an informal, very impromptu meeting in the House lounge – the place by the bathrooms where lawmakers usually go to meet in private before and after votes, meetings, circle jerks, etc.
• At one point in the meeting, Caldwell – the Appropriations and Budget Committee Chair – and West – the Majority Floor Leader – had a disagreement over budgeting.
• I guess the disagreement soon turned into a physical altercation, and West – the grizzled vet who apparently not only looks like, but behaves like, a homicide detective who lost it all – quickly took the upper hand.
• The fight was eventually broken up by Capitol security, and West was removed from the building. After the incident, he allegedly stayed away from the Capitol for an entire week.
Then again, that's just a synopsis based on what four different Moles told me. If they're right, you heard it here first. If they're wrong, this is just satire. Hehe.
Anyway, if you’re hoping to watch a video of a pair of podcasting political buddies settle their differences the old-fashioned way, we’re right there with you – that would be incredible. Unfortunately, we’ve had trouble tracking down any footage or official documentation of the alleged fight.
We’re going to keep paging the Ogle Moles, and maybe even kick the open records tree to see what falls out, but for now, this remains one of those Capitol stories that everyone’s heard about… and no one will officially confirm.
Well, at least for now.
If West and Caldwell really want to take this podcast thing to the next level and gain some listeners, maybe they should come clean and host a special episode where they break down the fight, walk through the tape, and laugh about it like old buddies. You can’t get any more Inside The Capitol than that!
We’ll let you know how that goes.
Until then…
If you’re a Capitol insider and have any more scoop or information about this podcast pummeling – or anything else taking place on NE 23rd and Lincoln – hit us up on the TLO Tip Line.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
