It's easy to say that the best thing to do is hire experienced staff but the new democratic majority in the Wisconsin State Senate needs to keep in mind who got them elected.

Freshmen in both the Assembly as well as the State Senate will all have to make tough decisions in the coming weeks.  They will choose who works for them but more importantly they must ferret out where the loyalties of those they hire lie.  Those that won should look to their campaign staff for potential employees, not simply rely on the recommendations of those in their own party who would prefer to have their own hand picked staff.

A year ago, when most of these candidates started their campaigns in earnest they had to hire staff.  A memo which was misplaced by a democratic strategist but publicized by republicans after it was found, showed that democratic leaders had a plan and that plan included deciding that their people would manage the challengers campaigns.  It didn't work out that way in several races where there were people on the ground and there were campaigns already in full swing.  It was an early attempt to control new candidates but it was not only those democratic leaders who controlled the agenda.

Now those freshmen must ask themselves if those staff members (who the leadership wants) will answer to them and their legislative agenda, or whether their own loyalties will be to those that recommended them.