The pettiness of politicians

[sawyl]

You thought Blair and Brown disliked each other? Well, Gladstone and Disraeli were far, far worse. Here's an example of their appalling standards of behaviour, culled from a review of The Lion and the Unicorn in today's NYT:

From great heights both men could stoop, and stoop low. Mr. Aldous gleefully records their quarrels over a furniture bill at the office of the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Disraeli was on the way out, Gladstone on the way in). Gladstone refused to accept Disraeli's valuation of the merchandise. In revenge Disraeli walked off with a Chancellor's robe once worn by Pitt the Younger, one of Gladstone's heroes. It resides today at Disraeli's country estate.

I love the sheer pettiness of Disraeli's reaction. It's akin to taking the light bulbs with you when you move house.