Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney’s Republican running mate, previously claimed Rage Against the Machine is his favorite band. Tom Morello, RATM guitarist and political activist/musician who sometimes performs under the moniker The Nightwatchman, doesn’t take too kindly to Ryan’s interest in the band. Tom Morello’s tweet and his Rolling Stone article were enough to make ‘Morello’ a trending topic on Twitter and get the music and political spheres buzzing. It’s not that Morello doesn’t want the free spread of his music, regardless of who’s listening, but he also freely speaks out against anyone he pleases. He writes:

“Ryan claims that he likes Rage’s sound but not the lyrics. Well, I don’t care for Paul Ryan’s sound or his lyrics. He can like whatever band he wants, but his guiding vision of shifting revenue more radically to the one percent is antithetical to the message of Rage.”

Morello continues with more bite and ups the sarcasm:

“I wonder what Ryan’s favorite Rage song is? Is it the one where we condemn the genocide of Native Americans? The one lambasting American imperialism? Our cover of ‘Fuck the Police’? Or is it the one where we call on the people to seize the means of production? So many excellent choices to jam out to at Young Republican meetings!”

The Silversun Pickups also do not support the Romney campaign. The band sent a cease-and-desist letter to the campaign for playing their song ‘Panic Switch’ at a political event. Silversun Pickups frontman Brian Aubert wrote:

"We don't like people going behind our backs, using our music without asking, and we don't like the Romney campaign. We're nice, approachable people. We won't bite. Unless you're Mitt Romney!"

Morello shares the sentiment. In conclusion, Morello hopes Paul Ryan is just a mole ready to overthrow the government. But in reality, the progressive activist and influential guitarist just thinks Ryan is an “extreme fringe right wing nut job.”