THE OLD BOYS CLUB. The Politico (which is performing well above expectations) has a fascinating article today on the advancing age on Congress. Apparently, this is the oldest the institution has ever been, with the average Senator clocking in above six decades. I was struck by this on the Hill the other day, when I started hearing a "tap, tap -- tap, tap -- tap, tap" and a staffer leaned over to me and explained that was Sen. Robert Byrd, who's 88 and walks with two canes. Ted Kennedy, too, surprised me, looking older, smaller, and more hunched than expected, though once he began talking, he inflated back to his traditional size. He's 74. According to the article, the Senate rather liked having a doctor in the leadership, and Bill Frist was, by the end, giving health advice to fully 1/5th of his colleagues. For many of these leaders, age isn't a problem. Kennedy, for instance, is as effective and capable as ever, and Byrd certainly hasn't given up the ghost. But infirmity and health issues increasingly plague the institution, and in some Senators, pose more of a problem. The ravages of age were more hidden in previous generations, but C-SPAN and YouTube have ended such wisps of privacy. As the article explains, however, there's very little to encourage over-the-hill Senators to retire: "The senator usually wants to stay because he or she enjoys and derives purpose out of public service; aides want to keep their jobs and the influence that comes with working for a senior legislator (especially one who is increasingly dependent on aides); the party wants to keep a safe seat that will cost less money to retain; and constituents want the senator to run again because that means continued influence and dollars for a state." Doesn't exactly seem optimal. --Ezra Klein
