The fight between Senate and House leadership has reached a new low, with their respective staffs hissing at each other behind the scenes. “…the personal animus extends beyond the leaders. Along with their bosses, aides to Boehner and Reid are in an undeclared war and neither is refusing to budge an inch.”

Mike Sommers, Boehner’s chief of staff, described David Krone, Reid’s top aide, as “a snake” after Sommers’ emails were leaked detailing how the speaker secretly sought to protect federal contributions to staffers’ and lawmakers’ health insurance coverage. 

But the hairpulling isn’t even confined to staffers. “Some recent stories have even suggested the speaker’s keeping government shut because I hurt his feelings,” Reid told reporters Thursday. “If that’s true, I’m sorry that I hurt your feelings.”