ud d ▁rec alls ▁being ▁the ▁network ▁representative ▁in ▁the ▁press ▁pool ▁boat ▁that ▁tried ▁to ▁follow ▁the ▁president ial ▁y acht ▁with ▁S math ers ▁ab o ard ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁" S math ers ▁was ▁probably ▁John ▁Kennedy ' s ▁best ▁friend ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Senate . ▁T ogether ▁or ▁sing ly , ▁they ▁were ▁wol ves ▁on ▁the ▁pro w l , ▁always ▁able ▁to ▁find ▁or ▁attract ▁g orge ous ▁pre y .... ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁jo ke , ▁our ▁pret ending ▁to ▁be ▁covering ▁the ▁president , ▁b ob bing ▁around ▁in ▁the ▁ocean , ▁squ int ing ▁through ▁bin oc ular s ▁to ▁find ▁out ▁who ▁was ▁coming ▁and ▁going ▁but ▁always ▁having ▁our ▁view ▁blocked ▁by ▁a ▁Secret ▁Service ▁boat ▁just ▁as ▁another ▁long - leg ged ▁Pal m ▁Beach ▁beauty ▁clim bed ▁ab o ard ." ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁le aked ▁to ▁the ▁press ▁that ▁an ▁emer ging ▁sc andal ▁involving ▁the ▁cor rupt ▁activities ▁of ▁Vice ▁President ▁Ly nd on ▁B . ▁Johnson ' s ▁a ide ▁Bobby ▁Baker ▁prompt ed ▁Kennedy ▁to ▁give ▁a ▁private ▁offer ▁to ▁S math ers ▁of ▁the ▁second ▁spot ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁president ial ▁ticket ▁and ▁a ▁plan ▁to ▁drop ▁Johnson ▁as ▁his ▁running ▁mate . ▁ ▁Ret irement ▁from ▁politics ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁S math ers ▁decl ined ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁re - e lection ▁to ▁a ▁fourth ▁Senate