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Posted: January 8, 2008 5:53 PM
Gravel Cancels Campaign Events After Medical Visit
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The oldest candidate in the race, 77-year-old former Sen. Mike Gravel visited the Manchester, N.H., veterans’ medical center Tuesday morning to be treated for a respiratory infection, according to Elliott Jacobson, Gravel’s New Hampshire press secretary.

The long-shot candidate, who failed to earn a single vote in last week’s Iowa caucus, was forced to cancel his campaign events early Tuesday, but did do a local TV interview before returning to the New Hampshire home being used as his state campaign headquarters.

Gravel was given medication and told to rest up.

He caught the flu last week while in California and wasn’t able to fully recuperate as he traveled to Washington, D.C., and then up to New Hampshire. Like many of the other candidates, the pace of this race has everyone on the campaign feeling rundown.

“Many of us on the campaign have had the cold or flu, but not anywhere nearly as in a difficult state as the senator,” Jacobsen. “He was in bad shape last night.”

It’s been a tough week all around for Gravel, who was cut from Saturday night’s ABC debate and then faced criticism for his remarks to a group of college students that marijuana is safer than alcohol.