Wasn't Smathers one of JFK's big swinging buddies?
A member of the Democratic Party, Smathers was elected to the Eightieth and Eighty-first Congresses (January, 1947 to January, 1951). He also served in the Senate (January, 1951, to January, 1969). In 1949 Smathers met and befriended John F. Kennedy, then a young Congressman from Massachusetts.
In 1959 George Smathers became head of the committee in the South to elect Kennedy. However, during the campaign he surprisingly decided to run against Kennedy in Florida. Later he admitted that he did this with the agreement of Lyndon B. Johnson. Kennedy was furious. Smathers later recalled: "To make a long story short, he (Kennedy) kept after me to withdraw. "I want you to withdraw. I want you to withdraw... Damn it to hell, what kind of friend are you?" And so and so. I said, "Look, I'm not going to stand here and take all this abuse, so I'm going to go out. I'm leaving."
Smathers formed a business partnership with Grant Stockdale. Their company, Automatic Vending, was involved in providing vending machines to government institutions. However, in 1961 Automatic Vending was sued for improper actions in getting a contract at Aerodex but the suit was eventually dismissed.
http://tinyurl.com/csxtj
Later that week I processed my film and for the first time, took a look at the single frame of President John F. Kennedy. As it turned out, I got a perfect photo. It was probably 90 percent skill and 10 percent just plain luck that the limo was pictured directly in front of my place with Senator Smathers, sitting inside next to President Kennedy, pointing to the Channel 13 cameras about 75 feet ahead.
Here is a link that tells of the Smathers/Kennedy relationship.
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/11/29/State/A_born_winner__if_not.shtml