About ten active and well-known Democrats have been positioning themselves for possible 2008 presidential campaigns for months, but Gravel is the first to formally announce.  Noting that he and his wife Whitney took the subway to make the announcement, Gravel observed that "we're starting very humbly."  He plans early trips to New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina.  "And then we'll just campaign slowly.  We're not going to break our pick; we're just going to get out there and do the job properly," he says.  A first priority is "to raise some money so we can open up offices and have a staff." 

Little known, with questionable fundraising prospects, aged 75 going on 76, Gravel faces very long odds of winning the Democratic nomination, even with his very early start.  However, as a former U.S. Senator he can expect a place on the stage as the campaign unfolds in 2007, and he can use that position to advocate for the national initiative. (more)