[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23983]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             STATEMENT ON REPORTER AND ACTIVIST BOB JOHNSON

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM UDALL

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 7, 2007

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, if Bob Johnson had only one 
career, he would still be worthy of our admiration. If he had been only 
a hard working and talented reporter, a reporter who was loved by his 
coworkers and revered by the many he mentored, he would deserve our 
respect. Had he been only a crusader for open government, a tireless 
advocate for freedom of the press and the people, he would deserve our 
appreciation. But Bob Johnson was all of these things: A no-nonsense 
former marine who kept people informed about their government and 
changed government to make it more responsive to the people.
  Bob Johnson wrote the Associated Press' first bulletin on the 
assassination of President John F. Kennedy. His coverage of that 
tragedy shaped the response of a mourning nation and quelled public 
panic with prompt information. As an editor, Johnson taught young 
reporters the ins and outs of the newspaper business. Those who worked 
with him remember a ball of energy who was never too busy to pass along 
a hard-learned lesson or counsel a colleague in need. He covered 
everything from the Apollo space flights to the taking of hostages at 
the 1972 Munich Olympics with the same diligence, precision and 
enthusiasm.
  In his ``retirement,'' Johnson founded and ran the New Mexico 
Foundation for Open Government. With a reporter's instinct for bringing 
public scrutiny to private places, Johnson has helped file more than 70 
successful complaints under the Open Meetings Act. The organization he 
founded has helped the New Mexico Legislature craft laws to protect 
freedom of information and teach young people about their First 
Amendment rights. By educating and. empowering citizens around the 
state, the Foundation for Open Government has helped put government 
transparency on the public agenda in New Mexico. Thanks to Johnson, we 
know more about the decisions that affect our lives.
  Bob Johnson's life will always remind us that a commitment to truth 
is powerful. For his more than 60 years of dedicated work in the public 
interest, I wish to honor Robert H. Johnson.

                          ____________________