From the beginning of his Senate bid, 50-year-old Rep. Robert Andrews (D) has been emphasizing his energy and, more subtly, his relative youth in comparison to 84-year-old Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D).

But with less than two weeks to go before the primary, Andrews isn’t being subtle any longer.

In a new ad titled “It’s hard when your own words come back to haunt you” Andrews refers to Lautenberg’s 1982 Senate run when the then-58-year-old Lautenberg brought up the age of his Republican opponent, then-Rep. Millicent Fenwick.

“1982, one of the low points in New Jersey political history,” the ad states. “Frank Lautenberg bases his campaign against Millicent Fenwick on her age, she’s 72. Using not so veiled language, Lautenberg actually says it’s OK to make fun of a woman’s age. Now Lautenberg will be 91 at the end of his term. 91. Newspapers have said it’s time for a change.”

In fact, Lautenberg will be 90 when his term ends, assuming he’s re-elected. But that’s not what the Senator’s campaign reacted to in the new Andrews ad. Instead, a Lautenberg spokeswoman called Andrews sexist.

“Rob Andrews has shown contempt for the truth and contempt for New Jersey’s women,” said Julie Roginsky, a Lautenberg campaign spokeswoman. “Andrews’ ad is false and desperate, and it is offensive that Andrews expects that women will buy into his outlandish, old politics attack using age and gender to divide.”

— John McArdle