I'm with you. I can understand being enticed by the longevity factor, but we shouldn't use age as a litmus test.
Well, if one wants to place an older person on the court, then Federal Judge Richard Posner would be the ideal candidate. He's 63 y/o and, like Luttig, a brilliant legal mind. But if he gets chosen, he'd better take good care of his health so he can stick around for a couple of decades.