Lautenberg for Senate (NJ)

So says The New York Times:

Mr. Lautenberg has been an effective champion of banning smoking on domestic airlines and in other public places. He continues to push for reasonable restrictions on gun ownership and improved protections against terrorism at chemical plants. After years advocating for public transportation, Mr. Lautenberg scored an important victory when his bill nearly doubling Amtrak’s inadequate annual $1 billion subsidy became law.

Lautenberg, a Democrat, will win easily. Again. And the alternative is a Republican named Dick Zimmer, so Lautenberg probably should win. (Ouch. I take it back. Kinda.) But the fact remains that Lautenberg, at 84, makes John McCain look like as young and spry as a Chinese gymnast. If elected to another six-year term in the Senate, he'll be 90 by the time it ends... if he even makes it.

I am not a fan of having old-as-dirt politicians hanging out in the Senate for life. I'm not talking about guys like Joe Biden, who's been there for 35 years but in his mid-60s, or McCain, who's 72. I'm talking about guys like Lautenberg and Bob Byrd, legend that he is, who are past 80 and still getting re-elected. It's crazy! For what job other than one of the most important jobs in government would an 84 year-old person even be considered? It makes no sense, people. No sense.

Then again, it's the United States Congress, so the fact that it makes no sense actually makes perfect sense. Or something like that.