Bradley Back in Saddle

11/26/1998 at 12:00 AM EST

Bill Bradley said this weekend that his irregular heartbeat will have "no effect whatsoever" on his bid for the Democratic Presidential nomination, and he returned to the campaign trail for appearances on both coasts. A day after a hospital examination for an irregular heartbeat -- a chronic condition for which he takes daily medication -- Bradley greeted supporters and reporters on Saturday with a broad smile and handshakes as he entered a news conference, saying he felt "terrific." He jokingly told reporters he had planned to begin the appearance by clutching his chest and pretending to fall backward. And he said old shoulder, back and knee injuries from his days as a professional basketball player were actually more bothersome.