Congressman Gives a 'Shout-Out' to Cyndi Lauper From House Floor

The White House hosted a special “Memphis Soul” concert on Tuesday, and one singer in particular captivated a House member from Tennessee.

After the concert, Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee tweeted “@cyndilauper great night,couldn't believe how hot u were.see you again next Tuesday.try a little tenderness,” along with an up-close photo of Lauper.

Although that tweet was deleted shortly after it was sent out—but not before being archived on Sunlight Foundation’s Politwoops site—Cohen took to the House floor on Thursday afternoon to talk about the concert and “put a particular shout-out to Cyndi Lauper. She’s special,” he said.

“She’s a phenomenal lady and I give a special shout-out to Cyndi Lauper and Memphis music,” Cohen said. He also raved about Lauper’s 2010 album “Memphis Blues” and her rendition of Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness” that she performed at the White House. "I would suggest to some colleagues on the other side of the aisle that they ought to try a little tenderness on occasion."

Cohen is known for manning his own Twitter account and getting into trouble over it. Recall how he tweeted "ilu" (short for "I love you") to a woman during the State of the Union address. It turned out that woman was a long-lost daughter of the unmarried congressman. 

At any rate, Lauper can definitely bring the house down, so it's not as if Cohen has poor taste. Check out this 2010 television performance of "How Blue Can You Get."