the rix mix

We have a primary in New Jersey a week from today. I have to vote because of several local elections, which can be decided by single digits. For United States Senate, I'm inclined right now to vote for Congressman Rob Andrews, running against incumbent Frank Lautenberg. Not that I care much, or there's significant differences in their generally liberal views, or I think Andrews stands much of a chance of winning, or even that he's my first, second, or third choice to move up. Lautenberg's age - 84 - wouldn't be an issue if his seniority made him a powerful, visible, outspoken member of the senate. My feeling is, what the heck, why not fill that seat with an obviously qualified younger person now rather than later, & let Andrews, who is very ambitious & energetic, start building his own seniority? He really wants the job. Who's to say who will get that seat six years from now, when Frank will almost certainly retire? Jersey gets back about 39 cents of every federal tax dollar, we can probably do a little better than that, the House of Representatives is good training for playing the system. 2008 would have been a safe year for Senator Frank to step down without risk to the senate seat. The Repugs have nobody. The Dem congressional seats are all secure. He didn't do the right thing.