When Tony and Junior were discussing the problems with Carmine, Little Carmine, and Johnny, I think Tony thought it would be a plus for the Soprano Family to have the inept Little Carmine in the UNDERBOSS position, not the BOSS position. Johnny was Carmine's underboss. If Johnny got taken out, a new underboss would have to be made. Carmine, a competent boss (though getting old in his way of thinking), would no longer have the ultra-sharp, smart, and ruthless Johnny Sack as his right hand man. Little Carmine is an idiot, and Tony correctly saw this as a plus for the Sopranos, financially. In future dealings, the Sopranos would be able to get the better of an idiot like Little Carmine.

I don't think Tony wants a total idiot like Little Carmine as BOSS, though. He'd run things into the ground, no doubt. And as a New York boss, he'd be Tony's superior in the overall Mob chain of command. Does Tony really want to be under an idiot like Little Carmine?

We'll see in Episode 3!