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Former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel may be the most unlikely candidate of the 2008 election season, given that he has been out of public office for more than 25 years. At 77, he is the oldest candidate for president from either party.

A former cabbie and railroad man, Gravel was first elected to the Senate in 1968, after defeating incumbent Ernest Gruening in the Democratic primary. Gruening was one of only two senators to vote against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that President Lyndon Johnson used as his authorization to expand the Vietnam War.

Gravel went on to become a strong opponent of that war during his two terms in the Senate. He gained notoriety in 1971, when he entered thousands of pages of the classified Pentagon Papers — the secret documents that detailed U.S. involvement in Vietnam — into the Congressional Record.

Gravel made an ill-fated bid to become George McGovern's running-mate at the 1972 Democratic national convention. He lost his own Senate seat in the 1980 Democratic primary — ironically, to Ernest Gruening's grandson.

Philadelphia is set to play host to Campaign '08 when seven democratic candidates debate at Drexel University on Tuesday night.

It has been more than 30 years since Philadelphia has seen a debate between presidential candidates, but it will be the eighth time the seven leading democratic candidates seeking a shot at the White House have faced off, reported CBS station KYW-TV in Philadelphia.

During the nationally televised debate, candidates are expected to discuss various topics, including the economy, healthcare and the ongoing war in Iraq.

Early favorite Sen. Hillary Clinton will join Sens. Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Chris Dodd, former Sen. John Edwards, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, and Rep. Dennis Kucinich onstage for the debate.

The debate starts at 9 p.m. ET on MSNBC and MSNBC.com. Drexel University will also offer a live stream on its Web site.

North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Jerry Meek issued the following statement after attending tonight’s first DNC-sanctioned Democratic presidential debate at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina:

“Watching the debate live from The Citadel, I was struck by our candidates’ clear vision for restoring the American dream and protecting America’s security. While their Republican counterparts seem stuck to the failed policies of the Bush administration, our candidates have signaled that each of them would forge a new direction for America.

“Tonight’s revolutionary debate format allowed real Americans to speak directly with the candidates, as part of a dialogue between our Party and the American people.”

“The choice for 2008 is clear. Voters can choose Democrats who offer real leadership, or Republicans who offer only divisiveness and failed policies.”