"I need your help. I can't tell you what it is. You can never ask me about it later. And we're going to hurt some people."

Republicans think the debt ceiling negotiations are totally like a Ben Affleck heist movie, or something: At a closed-door House GOP meeting about the debt ceiling yesterday, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy reportedly played the following clip from The Town for his fellow Republicans:

That got 'em psyched! HuffPo reports that Florida GOP Rep. Allen West responded afterwards by telling the gathered legislators: "I am ready to drive that car." I don't want to play metaphor cop, but I have to wonder if the clip really offered the precise motivational parallel West and other Republicans were looking for: In the movie, the character played by Jeremy Renner who offers to drive the car in the clip was a loyal but violent friend whose total lack of impulse control kept getting Affleck's character in trouble. At the end, Renner's character dies. Make of that what you will. 

Comments

[Mike M.]

What is the point here exactly?

[John]

Suderman has no idea. But he thought it would make Republicans look bad. So he had to post it.

[Mike M.]

I agree. And needless to say, if the republicans do cave in at the last minute and raise the debt ceiling without any real spending cuts, he'll be one of the first guys on here ripping them a new one.

Get the sand out of your vagina, Peter.

[JoJo Zeke]

I don't want to play metaphor cop, but

"... I'm gonna do it, anyway. Just call me 'Tony," I guess."

[la-la-la-can't-hear-you]

There is really no such thing as a "Libertarian." Libertarian government is government by the Pinkertons. There won't be small government under Libertarians. Under Libertarians, there will just be "Big Government" in the service of strikebreakers, payday lenders, gated-community moguls, and casino conglomerates. Everybody has an agenda, even so-called "Libertarians," and an agenda requires power, and the state is the essence of power. The state will never die, never whither. Especially not under Libertarians.

[ClubMedSux]

To me the point is that most Republicans aren't serious about fiscal sanity. All they want to beat the Democrats, and it just so happens that the debt ceiling has become the focal point of the current battle between Repubs and Dems.

[Mike M.]

To me the point is that most Republicans aren't serious about fiscal sanity.

I agree that there are a lot of republicans like John Boehner who aren't serious about fiscal sanity, but this doesn't sound at all to me like the point Suderman is trying to make with this silly post.

It sounds a lot more to me like a rip (almost bordering on a veiled threat) on the republicans who actually are serious about fiscal sanity. In fact, it sounds to me like a direct implication that the TEA Party republicans will somehow or another pay dearly in the end for their obstinacy.

[SugarFree]

"Nice guy? I don't give a shit. Good father? Fuck you! Go home and play with your kids. You wanna work here - close! You think this is abuse? You think this is abuse, you cocksucker? You can't take this, how can you take the abuse you get on a sit? You don't like it, leave. "

[BakedPenguin]

Second prize is a set of steak knives...

[la-la-la-can't-hear-you]

There is really no such thing as a "Libertarian." Libertarian government is government by the Pinkertons. There won't be small government under Libertarians. Under Libertarians, there will just be "Big Government" in the service of strikebreakers, payday lenders, gated-community moguls, and casino conglomerates. Everybody has an agenda, even so-called "Libertarians," and an agenda requires power, and the state is the essence of power. The state will never die, never whither. Especially not under Libertarians.

[alan]

The state currently denies me my suite in the sky via dirigible because it might crash on the heads of brown people. Don't forget to add that in, or you TOTALLY misunderstand us.

[Paul]

There is really no such thing as a "Libertarian." Libertarian government is government by the Pinkertons. There won't be small government under Libertarians. Under Libertarians, there will just be "Big Government" in the service of strikebreakers, payday lenders, gated-community moguls, and casino conglomerate

You mean, kind of like the left claims it is now... even though, you know, they're in charge.

[R C Dean]

I think West is a very nice fit with "a loyal but violent friend whose total lack of impulse control kept getting Affleck's character in trouble."

[John]

If only the Republicans actually had the balls to drive the car and go put an end to all of this shit. Fat chance.

[PS]

HuffPo reports that...

This "inside" info is based on a HuffPo article. Can we have security escort this idiot to his car?

[JoJo Zeke]

AOLHUFFPO STOCK HITS ALL-TIME LOW

"Garbage In, Garbage Out."

[la-la-la-can't-hear-you]

There is really no such thing as a "Libertarian." Libertarian government is government by the Pinkertons. There won't be small government under Libertarians. Under Libertarians, there will just be "Big Government" in the service of strikebreakers, payday lenders, gated-community moguls, and casino conglomerates. Everybody has an agenda, even so-called "Libertarians," and an agenda requires power, and the state is the essence of power. The state will never die, never whither. Especially not under Libertarians.

[Alan Vanneman]

Suderman trying to make the Republicans look bad? Whoa, this guy is evil!

[SIV]

It's a family project.

[MarylandMike]

BTW nice spoiler alert, Suderman.

[Fist of Etiquette]

If McCarthy wanted to get them fired up he should have just played "Born in the USA".

[NoTalentAssclown]

I'm puttin this whole town in mah rearview!

[R C Dean]

Speaking of fraudulent numbers, does anybody know of a source for GDP ex government spending? Or even just ex government debt?

Because the GDP number includes government spending, its an, ahem, inadequate gauge of the state of the economy. Right now, for example, its inflated by $4BB a day in debt-financed government spending.

I'd be curious to see what it looks like cleaned of government/deficit distortions.

[imhotep]

Our GDP is roughly $14T per year right now. So if gubmit spends $4B per year that is $1.46T per year or approx 10%. So GDP ex our masters is approx $13.14T.

BTW - you read that correctly that our national debt is currently at about 100% GDP. That isn't counting future unfunded liabilities, state and local, etc.

[R C Suderman]

I'd like to see some historical information, tracking "real" GDP. Just think it would be interesting. I'm guessing it would show that we are well into a multi-year recession/depression.

[Paul]

Green shoots!

[JoJo Zeke]

... and, meanwhile: Paul Krugman and the NYT are spittling and frothing that the real, true evil in American politics today is... (waaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiit for it)... moderates.

[Mike M.]

Krugnut is rapidly becoming the Howard Beale of print media. Someone needs to seriously think about removing him before his mental breakdown is complete.

[Art-P.O.G.]

Krugman's really lost his shit.

[la-la-la-can't-hear-you]

There is really no such thing as a "Libertarian." Libertarian government is government by the Pinkertons. There won't be small government under Libertarians. Under Libertarians, there will just be "Big Government" in the service of strikebreakers, payday lenders, gated-community moguls, and casino conglomerates. Everybody has an agenda, even so-called "Libertarians," and an agenda requires power, and the state is the essence of power. The state will never die, never whither. Especially not under Libertarians.

[alan]

Pinkertons, my ass. This is not the age of tommyguns. Libertarian enforcers are WeaponX grade.

[bosty]

I should have known better than to read the comments, but wow. Just.. wow.

I really liked this gem:

Starving Our Nation of Revenue at a Time of War with already $4 Trillion in War Debt is nothing less than Treason, and aiding and abetting the enemy...

As Commander in Chief ,Obama is obligated to address the Treasonous nature of all those who seek to starve our nation of Revenue at War Time...

All those randomly capitalized words just add that certain element of gravitas.

[Jack Watts]

Sounds like a very good plan to me dude. Wow.

http://www.web-privacy.au.tc

[Fatty Bolger]

Kevin McCarthy should be ashamed of himself. A clip from a Ben Affleck movie? A movie that sucked? But then I repeat myself.

[Just Dropping By]

Hey, Chasing Amy wasn't half bad.

[JoJo Zeke]

Matt Damon really stretched himself in the role of "Amy," I thought.

[alan]

That movie was a wrenching horrible experience that I can't believe I actually sat in a theater to watch. Worse, yet, since the actual Amy was only referred to in the theatrical release, you must have seen the director's cut with all the added flashback scenes which at any length must have multiplied the torture.

[la-la-la-can't-hear-you]

Fuck off, troll.

He got Steve Smith'd so hard, yesterday. Be gentle. 😉
SugarFree|7.27.11 @ 12:46PM|#

You me'd that up, dude.
Chupacabra|7.27.11 @ 1:41PM|#

In the future, just stick with "Fuck off, troll."

It's much more effective.

[PS]

Actually I thought The Town was pretty decent. And that movie his brother did was more than decent.

[PS]

Res Publica Americana|7.27.11 @ 11:39AM|#

'Gone Baby Gone' was pretty good.

Yeah that one. Hurr Durr...

[Res Publica Americana]

'Gone Baby Gone' was pretty good.

[alan]

Jeez, Peter you could have reported that free of spoilers. It would have only taken a tiny bit of effort to make an effective point without them.

And why are you criticizing Republicans for rhetorical overkill and irrelevant movie clip indulgences, instead of hailing them with a salute with one hand and giving them a hand job with the other? That's going off the reservation.