Summary of the issue below, and then the beginnings of a search for a solution.
Currently TinyMCE with the WYSIWYG API is in use.
Problems with the wysywg editor, which is a life or death issue for the site.
Problem 1: gibberish code inserted after cut and paste from Word
Problem 2: arbitrary line breaks inserted into text – they are invisible in the editor, visible in preview and in publish, but are not at all fixable by using the editor.