For Release: Aug. 6, 2007
The story of an unlikely 15-year friendship between the conservative Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and liberal University of Louisville professor Paul Weber is recounted in Mitch and Paul, Friends from the Opposite Ends , airing Thursday, Aug. 23 at 10:30/9:30 p.m. CT on KET2 and Wednesday, Aug. 29 at 10:30/9:30 p.m. CT on KET1.The two met in 1990 when Sen. McConnell indicated interest in establishing a leadership training institute at the university. U of L President Donald Swain paired the conservative politician with the liberal Weber (who died in 2005), chairman of the university political science department. For 15 years they worked to establish the McConnell Center for Leadership.
Today the center supports approximately 40 Kentucky students on full merit - based scholarships, who are chosen from both rural and urban areas for not only academic excellence but for their leadership skills. In addition, nationally and internationally known leaders such as Ted Kennedy, Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell have spoken to U of L audiences and made themselves available to McConnell scholars for questions.
Mitch and Paul, Friends from the Opposite Ends is produced by Greg Willihnganz and Gypsy Moth Productions. More information about KET programming and education services, as well as how to support KET, can be found at www.ket.org.