Democratic leaders are hinting they might abandon party tradition and award sought-after slots not solely on the basis of seniority, but instead follow the Republican lead of also weighing such factors as legislative record, diversity and work for the good of the party.

“Seniority is a consideration, but merit of course must come first,” said Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic leader, who has approved a review of party rules so Democrats are not left scrambling should they reach their political goal.

Getting rid of stale politicians is something the Republican party has proved much better at than the Democrats.

Since winning the majority in 1994, Republicans have not hesitated to pass over senior lawmakers for chairmanships in favor of members more in tune with the leadership’s ideology or more assertive in fund-raising than their rivals.

We don't neccesarily need to go as far as they do in establishing term limits, but there should definitely be some sort of system of accountability in committee assignments. A lot of Republican success in politics can be explained by silly things like this, rather than positions on actual issues.