[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 86 (Thursday, May 24, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6838-S6839]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO JOAN McKINNEY

 Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to 
pay tribute to Joan McKinney--journalist, advocate for the free press 
and accomplished shag dancer--who turned 60 this week, for her 
outstanding contributions to the State of Louisiana and to our country.
  Joan McKinney, originally of Greenville, SC, came to Washington in 
1971 to work on the press staff of former Senator Fritz Hollings. As 
her career advanced, she chose to return to journalism, and she worked 
for papers in both Louisiana and South Carolina before coming back to 
work here at the Capitol, covering Washington for the Baton Rouge 
Advocate, a position she held from 1979 to 2003. I came to know and 
respect Joan in my many hallway meetings with her since I came to the 
Senate in 1997.
  In her tenure as the advocate's congressional correspondent, Joan 
beat the Capitol's marble floors and came to be well respected by the 
Louisiana delegation. The Members from my State knew there was nothing, 
nothing that could get by her. She was so skilled at asking the right 
questions that she was able to draw from our elected officials

[[Page S6839]]

some truly famous zingers--such as when former Senator Breaux in 1981, 
while still a House Member, told her why he was voting for a particular 
plan President Reagan was putting forth. He said his vote could not be 
bought, but it was up for rent.
  Joan's work as a reporter stayed true to the best tenets of 
journalism. She served the people of Louisiana for a quarter of a 
century by informing them about the personalities and policies of their 
elected representatives in Washington.
  Through her work, Joan became an expert on the intricacies of the 
Senate and the Supreme Court. She has taken this knowledge with her 
into her current role as a member of the Senate Daily Press Gallery 
staff. Her Senate acumen on the institution and its procedure is of 
great value to the reporters roaming the gallery, cubs and veterans 
alike, who rely on her for deep insight about the Chamber they cover.
  Joan, who has won reporting awards from the South Carolina and 
Louisiana press associations, is a longtime member of the 112-year-old, 
elite Gridiron Club of newspaper writers. She was one of the first 
women to become a member. Her storied career as a journalist, which 
earned her the respect of fellow members of the press and politicians 
alike, should be an example to all aspiring women journalists. And for 
those lucky enough to gain a spot in the valued turf of the Senate 
Daily Press Gallery, I know Joan will offer them a helping hand. The 
smart one will take it, and draw on the knowledge, experience and good 
heart, which has distinguished Joan among all who know her and the many 
more who have benefited from her years of believing in and serving the 
best ideals of our democracy.

                          ____________________