On Tuesday, as the debt deadline ticked away, House Republicans met in a conference room and watched a clip from the Ben Affleck-directed thriller, The Town, to motivate the troops for John Boehner's budget proposal. The Washington Post reported it as a bonding experience: they watched the clip where Ben Affleck entreats Jeremy Renner to join him on a revenge attack. "I can't tell you what it is. You can never ask me about it later," went the Affleck line. The scene reportedly went over well with the group and an enthusiastic Rep. Allen West gushed "I'm ready to drive the car," seemingly approving of the Boehner plan according to the newspaper.

The clip may have, as John Boehner would've put it, helped get Republicans asses in line. But Ben Affleck seemed a little perplexed when he heard the news. In a statement to The Huffington Post through a spokesperson he remarked: "I don't know if this is a compliment or the ultimate repudiation...But if they're going to be watching movies, I think The Company Men is more appropriate."

As ThinkProgress just noted, Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer responded to the incident with grim smile and this bit of perspective: "In the scene [the Republicans] choose to inspire their House freshman, one of the crooks gives a pep talk to the other--right before they both put on hockey masks, bludgeon two men with sticks, and shoot a man in the leg."

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Erik Hayden