Patience, you whippersnappers!

There's an interesting Democratic primary in New Jersey these days, where Rep. Rob Andrews, after nearly two decades of riding the statewide bench, is challenging incumbent Sen. Frank Lautenberg.

Lautenberg originally retired in 2000, jumping back into the 2002 race after Sen. Bob Torricelli rescinded his candidacy under a cloud of scandal. Allegedly, Andrews and at least one other congressman, Frank Pallone, declined to make a go at the race instead, figuring if Lautenberg won or lost, he wouldn't seek re-election in 2008.

Oh, how wrong they were.

So Andrews, 50, got in this primary shortly before the April filing deadline, locking out his fellow congressional benchers, and challenging the octogenarian incumbent.

And after nearly two months of gaining little traction, Andrews' campaign finally dropped the age-bomb in a television ad.

See, Lautenberg won his first Senate race in 1982 against Republican Sen. Millicent Fenwick who was 72 at the time. Lautenberg was then 58. He clearly made age an issue in that campaign, but Andrews ad claims that Lautenberg also invoked the issues of gender and sexism were also injected. The ad claims,

“Using not so veiled language, Lautenberg actually says it’s ok for a man to make fun of a woman’s age,” said the announcer’s voice on the ad. “Now Lautenberg will be 91 at the end of his term. Ninety-one. Newspapers have said it’s time for a change. It’s hard when your own words come back to haunt you, isn’t it, Mr. Lautenberg?”

This is a largely specious claim, based not on 1982 accusations, but citing a 2008 column calling Lautenberg "profoundly sexist” because "he considered 72 too old for a woman to be elected to the Senate in his first race, but at 84 considers himself fit for office," as PolitickerNJ.com's Matt Friedman put it.

Truthful or not, the ad seems to be taking a toll on Lautenberg, possibly with women. So who did he trot out on Wednesday to defend him?

Barbara Mikulski, a female Senator who's 71 and going-on the Milicent-Fenwick-'82 age of 72.

Mikulski told the Newark Star-Ledger that the ad "looks more like the work of a Bush Republican than a 2008 Democratic candidate for Senate."

"When it comes to fighting for women's rights in the U.S. Senate, Frank Lautenberg is always at our side."

According to reports, Lautenberg's even using Mikulski's rebuttal in campaign e-mails.

Mikulski recently told PolitickerMD.com that she has not completely decided on whether or not she will seek a fifth term in 2010, but the results of this primary could be indicative of her future. If Lautenberg wins (which looks likely), it'll be the second consecutive cycle where a young congressman failed to unseat an older Senator (see: Case vs. Akaka, Hawaii, 2006), and would be extremely discouraging to those seeking to challenge Mikulski.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen addressed whether he'd seek statewide office just yesterday, saying, "I would consider other opportunities, if they were to arrive in the future."

The June 3 New Jersey race may decide how soon the opportunity arrives.