In my experience, after you get an actual offer, if you can find someone who has worked for the same group (or even the same company if it is a smaller company), they are a treasure trove of information. This is where all your college buddies are going to be useful m'friend.

If they still work there, you've gotta be friends with them to find out anything but I have found that with people who have worked there in the past, they will happily give you juicy political information. You've got to be very very careful how you word your questions (and your first email to them) though. Specifically, you don't want to sound needy, judgemental or stupid (in increasing order of importance) lest they are still buddies with people back in the old company.