Steven Van Zandt, the man you likely know as one of the guitarists in Bruce Springsteen's band or Tony Soprano's consigliere Silvio, is very disappointed with Barack Obama.
In a lengthy piece published at the Huffington Post Saturday evening, Little Steven went so far as calling the President a "eunuch."
"Personally, speaking as an Independent, I would love to see him remain as our president forever," wrote Van Zandt. "I have never been more proud or secure in traveling the globe, knowing for one of the few times in my adult life my president wasn't going to embarrass me. That he wasn't going to insult somebody. That he wasn't going to start a new war just so his vice-president's company could make more billions."
"But at the same time," he continued, "as president, I expect him to accomplish virtually nothing, just as he did in his first four years."
Wanting someone who's accomplished "virtually nothing" to "remain as our president forever" seems like severely tortured logic for a former consigliere.
In fact, this is more like the mental and emotional turmoil we saw from the head of the Sopranos than his always calm and well-reasoned adviser.
But Van Zandt wasn't close to being finished as he next showed a tremendously poor grasp of civics.
"They had both Houses of Congress for two years and got virtually nothing done, how is that possible?" asked Van Zandt.
His answer?
"Because of an inability to stop the most obnoxiously exploited filibuster rule in our nation's history."
No, not so much. Throughout most of Obama's first two years, the Democrats had a filibuster-proof Senate. It really wasn't until after the midterm elections that the filibuster thankfully became a hindrance to Obama policies.
Next, after blaming the Tea Party for all of Obama's problems in his second two years, Van Zandt provided a bucket list of goals he'd like to see for The One's second term:
- Overturn Buckley v Valeo;
- Eliminate all private money in the election process;
- Ban all international military sales;
- Eliminate all use of fossil fuels over the next ten years;
- Ban all preservatives, steroids, chemicals, additives, pesticides in our food;
- Ban sugar;
- Gather Futurists to design what the country should be in 50 years and then create jobs to fit the model;
- Create the national green energy grid;
- Build the high speed train network;
- Health insurance for everyone for free;
- Moratorium on all foreclosures;
- Lower personal and Corporate tax rates to 15% and institute a 10% acquisition tax on all financial services transactions, acquisitions, mergers, and stock trades to make up for it;
- Eliminate all air and water pollution;
- Ban plastic bottles;
- Put Arts classes back into schools;
Some list, huh? As Sopranos character Paulie Walnuts said in almost every episode, "You believe this s--t?"
Thankfully, Van Zandt was almost done, but as he crescendoed towards a conclusion, he asked a truly disturbing question: "[W]ouldn't an Obama that actually got something done be an even better Obama than the dignified but legislative eunuch Obama?"
Actually, many in America think "the dignified but legislative eunuch Obama" has been dangerous enough.
Him getting more done is as frightening as a completely unrestrained Tony Soprano.
On the other hand, it is telling that the character Van Zandt played in this award-winning series got shot toward the end of the final season leaving him in a coma.
Maybe Little Steven is still playing the part by continuing to think like someone in such a diminished mental state.
That would explain a lot.
