Former Sen. George McGovern dies at age 90

Cliff Owen / Pool via Reuters, file

Former U.S. Sen. George McGovern died early Sunday, his family said.

By M. Alex Johnson and Kelly O'Donnell, NBC News

Updated at 10:05 a.m. ET: Former Sen. George McGovern, who lost a 1972 presidential bid to?Richard Nixon in a historic landslide,?died early Sunday, his family said in a statement. He was 90.

McGovern passed away?at a hospice in?Sioux Falls, SD.

Steve Hildebrand, a spokesman for the family, issued a statement to NBC News that read: "At approximately 5:15 am CT [6: 15 a.m. ET] this morning, our wonderful father, George McGovern passed away peacefully at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD, surrounded by our family and life-long friends.

"We are blessed to know that our father lived a long, successful and productive life advocating for the hungry, being a progressive voice for millions and fighting for peace.

"He continued giving speeches, writing and advising all the way up to and past his 90th birthday, which he celebrated this summer."

McGovern was a bomber pilot in World War II who became an early critic of the Vietnam War and a leader of the Democrats' liberal wing.? ?He was elected to his first of three Senate terms in 1962.

McGovern ran for president three times, also making a try for the nomination in 1968 and 1984. ?Despite the 1972 Watergate break-in, Nixon won a second term by a huge landslide.

McGovern challenged Nixon in 1972 on a platform opposing the war in Vietnam, but ?suffered one of the most lopsided defeats in U.S. history, taking only 37.5 percent of the vote and carrying only Massachusetts and the District of Columbia.

Later as Nixon's presidency unraveled in the Watergate scandal, bumper stickers saying "Don't blame me, I'm from Massachusetts" and buttons saying "Don't blame me, I voted for McGovern" began to appear.?

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland said McGovern's own life "exemplified the American dream that he worked so hard to make possible for millions." In a statement, Hoyer said:

"George McGovern made it his life's work to end the plague of hunger across the globe and here at home. He was a pioneer of our successful food stamp program and, working across the aisle with former Senator Bob Dole, helped expand funding for free and reduced cost school lunches. As Director of the Food for Peace program under President Kennedy, Senator McGovern strengthened our leadership around the world by helping feed millions with surplus American produce.

"While many of his ideas may have been ahead of his time, they have since helped shape our policies as a nation. I join in expressing my condolences to Senator McGovern's family and celebrating his life and contribution to the country he loved to serve."

The Associated Press and NBC's Kelly O'Donnell contributed to this report.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/21/14592769-former-senator-george-mcgovern-dies-aged-90?lite

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