What does “poke one in the eye” mean?

In today's Washington Post article titled “For Boehner, battle is a test of leadership,” I came across the phrase, “It seems every step we take, it’s something just to poke us in the eye,” of Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid. Although I can easily imagine how angry I could be when I’m poked in my eye with a stick, what does “poke one in the eye” mean right here?

I searched the definition of this phrase in dictionaries at hand and online dictionaries, none of which has entry of this phrase, except for Online Slang Dictionary carrying the phrase “poke in the brown eye” without giving any definition of it. I’m also curious to know what “poke in the brown eye” means.

Mr. Harry Reid’s comment including “poke one in the eye” reads:

‘It seems every step we take, it’s something just to poke us in the eye,’ a frustrated Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said at one point this week. ‘They are not trying to arrive at the finish line. It appears that they’re going to do everything they can to satisfy the tea party.’

Solution 1:

It's being used as a metaphorical version of the physical action it describes. That is, it's a action that's designed to annoy and/or insult the recipient of the poke.

Solution 2:

I’m also curious to know what “poke in the brown eye” means.

"Poke in the brown eye" is slang for anal sex. "Poke" is slang for sexual penetration, and "brown eye" is slang for anus.