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I agree that the newly elected reps will need a veteran staffer to keep things going smoothly, but each new arrival should bring someone with him/her to keep a close watch on what is going on. This person needs to outrank the “veteran” in the pecking order.

That's it, exactly. The BIG problem, that will be made worse if allowed to, are the Committee Staffs ... which will be under the control of the 'old guard' and will have even more power if the Freshman staff their offices completely with campaign staff/outsiders.

Smart incoming members will find a way to balance their staffs so they can champion and effect reform while also working effectively within the byzantine nature of Congressional politics.

That calls for lots of reform-minded staff, but also a couple/few (maybe 25-30%) "DC Insiders" who understand how the game is played and will work to help the Freshman keep the Leadership and Committee Staffs honest and forward-looking.

So, what are these insider staff members doing right now, and what jobs have they held over the past 2-4 years? Obviously, they weren’t working for GOP Congressmen. The GOP is going to get 60+ new Congressmen, and you mean to tell me, the old guard has staffers just sitting in the dugout ready to play? Whoever these staffers are, they are probably the biggest GOP flunkies available. They are the perfect staffers to leak to the press, etc., etc. Probably a bunch of Meghan McCain wannabees.