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FAST FACTS:
(Memphis 2/11/2010) It was Incumbent Steve Cohen's turn to respond and fire back at Congressional candidate Willie Herenton.
Cohen said, "In my case you see the only progressive on the sheet. You see the only person with an A from the NAACP."
Appearing on News Channel 3 Live at 9, Cohen talked about a picture Herenton showed last week during an exclusive interview with WREG blasting the racial makeup of Tennessee's representatives in Congress.
Cohen said, "This district wasn't drawn to elect a black person. It was drawn to elect a Democrat. When Harold Ford, Senior was elected in 1974 it was majority white."
The two term incumbent says the current African-American majority of voters he represents have been pleased with his work.
Cohen said, "If you think something is wrong with the picture, you think something is wrong with voters in the 9th District because the voters in the 9th district, as the law requires, choose the person they feel can best represent their issues in Washington. They've done that twice. It's been a perfect story on what the Voting Rights Act is about."
He says Herenton has all but admitted he doesn't know how to get things done in Washington. He says one example was when Herenton needed assistance with the Liberty Bowl Stadium and providing seats for fans with disabilities.
Cohen said, "Mayor Herenton called me one time and asked me to get involved. He said Steve you know I don't know what you guys do in Washington. That's exactly what he said, you know I don't what you do in Washington and he certainly doesn't."
Last week it was Herenton accusing Cohen of not doing enough to save the financially strapped Regional Medical Center also known as The MED.
Cohen said, "I was there at the beginning of The Med. I stood up on the floor of the (Tennessee) senate to question David Manning about The MED when TennCare started. My father was on the board. It's my baby. You might as well talk about the lottery and say Steve Cohen just got involved when the Powerball got to 170 million dollars. That's as much sense as it makes."
As for debating the former Golden Gloves Champ, Cohen says he wants a discussion with Herenton about the issues and not just race as he says the former mayor has suggested.
Cohen said, "He's spoken about me with obscenities, which is something I don't think merits a discourse. A debate should be on issues, number one. Number 2, prevarications and number 3, it's all about race that moves the community backward, not forward."
Cohen says he's in touch with voters and would be much more effective in Washington as a Third Term Congressman than Willie Herenton would be as a First Term Congressman.
Cohen has scheduled a meeting on what he calls the district's issues Friday morning from 11 to 1 at the Federal Building in downtown Memphis. The public is invited.
- Congressman Cohen Responds To Herenton Criticism
- Incumbent Says Former Mayor Is Wrong About His Record
- Cohen Says Herenton Doesn't Know How To Get The Job Done In Congress
(Memphis 2/11/2010) It was Incumbent Steve Cohen's turn to respond and fire back at Congressional candidate Willie Herenton.
Cohen said, "In my case you see the only progressive on the sheet. You see the only person with an A from the NAACP."
Appearing on News Channel 3 Live at 9, Cohen talked about a picture Herenton showed last week during an exclusive interview with WREG blasting the racial makeup of Tennessee's representatives in Congress.
Cohen said, "This district wasn't drawn to elect a black person. It was drawn to elect a Democrat. When Harold Ford, Senior was elected in 1974 it was majority white."
The two term incumbent says the current African-American majority of voters he represents have been pleased with his work.
Cohen said, "If you think something is wrong with the picture, you think something is wrong with voters in the 9th District because the voters in the 9th district, as the law requires, choose the person they feel can best represent their issues in Washington. They've done that twice. It's been a perfect story on what the Voting Rights Act is about."
He says Herenton has all but admitted he doesn't know how to get things done in Washington. He says one example was when Herenton needed assistance with the Liberty Bowl Stadium and providing seats for fans with disabilities.
Cohen said, "Mayor Herenton called me one time and asked me to get involved. He said Steve you know I don't know what you guys do in Washington. That's exactly what he said, you know I don't what you do in Washington and he certainly doesn't."
Last week it was Herenton accusing Cohen of not doing enough to save the financially strapped Regional Medical Center also known as The MED.
Cohen said, "I was there at the beginning of The Med. I stood up on the floor of the (Tennessee) senate to question David Manning about The MED when TennCare started. My father was on the board. It's my baby. You might as well talk about the lottery and say Steve Cohen just got involved when the Powerball got to 170 million dollars. That's as much sense as it makes."
As for debating the former Golden Gloves Champ, Cohen says he wants a discussion with Herenton about the issues and not just race as he says the former mayor has suggested.
Cohen said, "He's spoken about me with obscenities, which is something I don't think merits a discourse. A debate should be on issues, number one. Number 2, prevarications and number 3, it's all about race that moves the community backward, not forward."
Cohen says he's in touch with voters and would be much more effective in Washington as a Third Term Congressman than Willie Herenton would be as a First Term Congressman.
Cohen has scheduled a meeting on what he calls the district's issues Friday morning from 11 to 1 at the Federal Building in downtown Memphis. The public is invited.
