Paul Ryan Is A 'Jackass,' Says Tom Morello

Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello already told Paul Ryan that he's "the embodiment of the machine our music rages against," and now the guitarist has simplified his view on the vice-presidential candidate.

In a red carpet interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Morello offered this take on Mitt Romney's running mate: "Paul Ryan was a jackass before he listened to [Rage Against the Machine], came out a jackass at the end, so he missed a lot of it."

But Morello said he wasn't necessarily surprised that a conservative like Ryan would be a fan of the band. "[Rage] is a band that casts the nets really wide, and that’s part of the strength of the band," he said. "People are drawn to it by the music, the aggression, the rockingness of it, and then they’re exposed to different ideas."

In August, Morello penned an op-ed for Rolling Stone that compared Ryan's musical taste to Charles Manson's appreciation for The Beatles. In that article, Morello wrote that Ryan carried a "rage against women, a rage against immigrants, a rage against workers, a rage against gays, a rage against the poor, a rage against the environment."

Morello's column is a wrinkle in a well-established narrative of musicians coming out against the Mitt Romney-Paul Ryan ticket. The Silversun Pickups and Dee Snider both asked the campaign to stop playing their music. Katy Perry, Bon Jovi, Stevie Wonder and Earth Wind & Fire recently performed for Barack Obama's campaign, which recently announced that Bruce Springsteen will appear with Bill Clinton at a rally in Ohio.

Musicians in the Republican corner include Kid Rock, Hank Williams Jr. and Ted Nugent.

Morello is a long-time advocate of Occupy Wall St., performing for protestors and actively organizing for the cause.

For more, including why Morello is disappointed with Obama, head over to THR.