WASHINGTON (AFP) ― Former U.S. senator George McGovern, a liberal icon who vowed to end the Vietnam War but lost a landslide presidential election to Richard Nixon in 1972, died early Sunday at the age of 90.
McGovern died at about 5:15 a.m. (1015 GMT) at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, surrounded by relatives and friends, his family said in a statement.
The three-term senator, a former World War II bomber pilot, was credited with bringing women, youths and minorities into the Democratic Party in a broad-based White House campaign that foundered after revelations of his running mate’s battle with mental illness.
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“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,” the family statement read.
President Barack Obama praised McGovern as a man who “dedicated his life to serving the country he loved” and as “a statesman of great conscience and conviction.”
Vice President Joe Biden said he was “honored” to serve with McGovern in the U.S. Senate “and to call him a friend.”
And, in a joint statement, former president Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary, currently serving as secretary of state, said McGovern “always worked to advance the common good and help others realize their potential.
”Of all his passions,“ the Clintons said, “he was most committed to feeding the hungry, at home and around the world.”
McGovern’s legacy even drew praise from Republican former House speaker Newt Gingrich, who said he had “a very good sense of humor” and was “just a great guy.”
