Zell Miller falls ill during speech in Gainesville

<p>Former Sen. Zell Miller was home and feeling better Friday after falling ill during a speech in Gainesville and spending the night in the hospital.</p><p>Diana Banister, a publicist for Miller's new book, "A Deficit of Decency," said the 73-year-old Miller was diagnosed with the flu and fatigue.</p><p>"Hopefully he's going to resume his schedule soon," Banister said.</p><p>Miller excused himself from the stage at a banquet for the Gainesville Care Center at the Georgia Mountains Center and was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center. Nursing supervisor Tammy Harbison said she did not know what made Miller ill.</p><p>Miller's wife, Shirley, was at Miller's side Thursday night and released a statement from the hospital.</p><p>"He has had flu-like symptoms for a couple of days, and he would not stay in bed," she said.</p><p>Hospital spokeswoman Cathy Bowers said later that Miller was alert and cracking jokes.</p><p>Miller, a Democrat who riled fellow party members last year by his avid support for President Bush's re-election, left the Senate in January. He was replaced by former U.S. Rep. Johnny Isakson, a Republican.</p><p>Miller, a one-time college history professor, was Georgia's governor from 1991 to 1999. He was tapped in 2000 to fill the unexpired term of the late Sen. Paul Coverdell and elected the same year to the balance of the term. He did not seek re-election.</p><p>The Democrat, who gave a fiery keynote speech during last year's national Republican convention, is popular on the conservative speaking tour.</p>