Description of Democrat Congressman, George Smathers

George Smathers a Democrat Senator and Congressman from Florida from 1946 to 1969, was a panelist on What's My Line last night (a vintage 1950's episode). Upon his death in 2007, following were noted about him:

• He was a close friend of John F. Kennedy and was in his wedding party.

• A veteran of World War II, he shared with JFK a passion for fighting communism.

• An expert on Latin America, he supported a group that pumped billions in aid to that region, the Alliance for Progress.

• Was virulently opposed to Fidel Castro's regime and its communist leanings.

• Supported a total embargo against Cuba for all goods.

• Helped pass a bill to create Medicare.

• Coddled segregationist white voters.

• Supported voting rights for African Americans.

• Voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

• Opposed Thurgood Marshall's nomination to the Supreme Court.

• Thought Brown v Board of Education was an 'abuse of judicial power.'

• When Dr. Martin Luther King was in jail in Florida, he offered to bail him out, but only if he promised to leave the state afterward.

Finally, "After voluntarily leaving office in 1969, Mr. Smathers made a fortune

• through lobbying
• and varied business ventures,

• ranging from orange groves to car dealerships.

He gave tens of millions of dollars to the University of Florida and the University of Miami."

• Comment: Many people are absolutely positive that politicians are one thing or another. The Smathers example shows how problematic it is to put much hope into politicians. They may be up one day, but down the next. Secondly, the Democrat party today should change its name to something else. Thirdly, today's so-called democrats in my experience live in a hermetically sealed world. I thought this example would show them up. (sm)

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