Archive for the ‘Photo’ Category

AFL-CIO Labor Council President Howard Richardson, Memphis and West Tennessee Building and Construction Trades Association President Paul Shaffer, and Rep. Steve Cohen (D, TN-09)

Congressman Steve Cohen held a press conference on February 17^th at the IBEW Union Hall to accept endorsements from the Tennessee AFL-CIO Labor Council, Memphis AFL-CIO Labor Council, the Memphis and West Tennessee Building and Construction Trades Association, and the support of many leaders of the labor movement.

Memphis AFL-CIO Labor Council Political Director Howard Richardson called Cohen “a champion of working people. Not just labor— Working people who work for an hourly wage.”

“He’s a champion for human rights,” Richardson continued. “He’s a champion for women’s rights. He’s a champion for minimum wage. He’s a champion for all of the things that raise the standard of living for working people.”

“He’s never raised the issue of race except to promote harmony among the races. And I am proud to say on behalf of the Memphis Labor Council of AFL-CIO that we endorse him with the greatest enthusiasm. And we’re going to make sure he’s re-elected,” Richardson concluded to a round of applause.

Read the rest of this entry »

Rep. Steve Cohen and President Barack Obama in 2008

From The Commercial Appeal:
President Obama praised U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., Wednesday for voting in favor of the war supplemental spending bill Tuesday after Cohen was savaged all day in the progressive and anti-war blogosphere.

“Congressman Cohen is a leader in the United States Congress and a strong voice for the people of Tennessee,” Obama said in a statement.

“His vote to ensure our men and women in uniform have the resources they need to protect our country while supporting ongoing diplomatic efforts around the world will enable us to provide necessary funding for our troops and prepare our country if H1N1 poses a severe threat.”

The vote was 226 to 206, with Cohen, John Tanner, D-Tenn, and Bennie G. Thompson and Travis W. Childers, both D-Miss., voting for it, and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., against. Cohen is a member of the Out of Iraq and Progressive caucuses in the House.

Cohen said he did not ask for the statement but was “honored” to see it.

“Maybe he just wanted to respond to people who helped him,” he said. “Yes, I was surprised but I’ve been in the president’s corner on several occasions and it’s good to have him in my corner.”
Click here to read the rest!