It’s all too rare when Washington’s underbelly is exposed.

For instance, when a journalist’s feelings get hurt and a major political campaign has to apologize for one of its own.

Here in the latest email dump we have ex-FNCer Greta van Susteren issuing a formal complaint in July, 2015 to the Clinton campaign about something longtime Clinton aide Philippe Reines said about her.

He called the TV anchor “malleable.”

To be certain, Reines has said a lot worse. Remember when he told the late BuzzFeed reporter Michael Hastings to “fuck off” and called him an “unmitigated asshole”?

[dcquiz] But it’s understandable that Greta’s interpretation is that Reines thinks she’s an easy interview. Greta seems to really like Clinton & Co., and was irritated that Reines’s lack of respect could possibly tar her reputation.

Clinton’s traveling press secretary Nick Merrill — the one who called NYT‘s Amy Chozick an “idiot” — bent himself into a pretzel to try to appease Greta. On display in this email batch is the “affable” guy Politico was talking about.

No word on if it worked.

The funniest line in Merrill’s email is when he tells Greta that he’d argue that Clinton’s performance suffers when he’s up against a lesser intellect. [Cue up the laughter.] To be clear, this is not to say Greta is lacking in intelligence. But the idea that Clinton fares better when she doesn’t have an idiot interviewing her is a brilliantly ridiculous argument.

Van Susteren’s email to Nick Merrill:

Dear Nick, Please convey this message below directly to the Secretary. If you don’t intend to do so, please let me know and I will try other avenues to get this email to her. Dear Madam Secretary, I have always been respectful and probing. Philipe in an email to you

– which is now being published in many news organizations – referred

to me as “malleable.” Of course this is insulting to me as a

journalist but I can take insults. However, I don’t think it fair

when my interviews have always been respectful and probing and fair

Philipe mistakes respectful and probing and fair for “malleable.” I

would very much like to interview you now about this and get this

cleared up for my reputation. This would be fair – just as I have

been fair. Best, Greta Van Susteren

Merrill’s reply to Van Susteren: