did they break into and bug the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate complex.

But that was not all. A private eye spied on McGovern headquarters at the Democratic convention in Miami, and a Nixon operative hired an airplane that flew over the convention with a sign: “Peace, Pot, Promiscuity. Vote McGovern.”

Supported by party irregulars, McGovern won the Democratic presidential nomination at a chaotic convention. He picked Eagleton as his vice presidential candidate, only to learn that his running mate had suffered depression and taken electroconvulsive therapy, which then was known as electroshock treatment. McGovern said he stood behind Eagleton “1,000 percent” and would keep him on the ticket.

In the end, however, McGovern could not weather the political storm, and he dumped Eagleton. Then he was seen as disloyaland indecisive.

On Election Day, he won only Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. He stands tied with Walter F. Mondale, who lost to Ronald Reagan, for the worst state-by-state defeat in U.S. history.

In time, Nixon and his vice president, Spiro T. Agnew, were forced to resign, and more than 30 administration officials, campaign officers and financial contributors pleaded or were found guilty of breaking the law or covering up illegal activity. Nixon might have gone to prison but for a pardon from President Ford, who had succeeded Agnew as vice president and then took over the presidency when Nixon quit.

Nonetheless, McGovern was marked as a loser.

In 1974, McGovern won re-election to the Senate.

Six years later, his opponents called him a baby killer because he was pro-choice and was