Republican Party picks their cong candidates 2 yrs before next election. When an officeholder is ready to cash in & lobby, they groom his chief of staff or spouse, so they keep control. They fund him. They groom him.They gloss him up, write his story (family, background (thread) supposed conservatism, love of flags, prayer in schools, balanced budgets, etc.). They use their stable of other officeholders to throw the endorsements to give credibility, just as publishers have their famous authors write a glowing comment for the book jacket of the new guy.