Perspective: All in the family

Sen. J. Strom Thurmond, who at 98 is the longest serving and the oldest member of the U.S. Senate, proves you're never too old for nepotism. Thurmond has persuaded President Bush to nominate his 28-year-old son, J. Strom Thurmond Jr., for the post of U.S. attorney in South Carolina.

If confirmed, Strom Jr., currently an assistant state prosecutor, would be the youngest and least experienced U.S. attorney in the country. An analysis done by a South Carolina newspaper showed the average age of the 93 U.S. attorney's across the nation is about 50. But South Carolina has a history of appointing fairly young men to the job, and age alone is not necessarily the measure of a good prosecutor. Where Strom Jr. really falls short is in legal experience. He graduated from the University of South Carolina Law School in 1998 and has practiced law for about three years. The average U.S. attorney has been at it for 22 years.

Sen. Thurmond doesn't care that his young 'un is still cutting his legal teeth. He says his boy is "uniquely qualified" for the position, and in South Carolina that probably is true. By having the last name "Thurmond," Strom Jr. is instantly qualified for just about any job his daddy wants him to have.

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