On Tuesday Harry Reid announced on the Senate floor that Bob Dole had been hospitalized, saying he was “at Walter Reed not for a checkup … He is there because he is infirm. He is sick.” Reid’s language led many to believe Dole is in grave condition, particularly because he went on to say Dole “had all the qualities of a leader that I admire and certainly would wish I had.” However, an aide says the 89-year-old former presidential candidate is undergoing a “routine procedure” and should be discharged tomorrow. Earlier, John McCain read from an e-mail Dole sent to all senators on Monday urging them to pass the Convention of Persons with Disabilities, a U.N. treaty on rights for the disabled. The aide said Dole is currently “doing well and watching the CRPD debate on CSPAN 2.”
