The fourth season of Stephen C. Widom Cultural Arts at Emanuel continues on Sunday, May 15, at 3 p.m., with a program entitled: From the Left, From the Right — A Dialogue with Paul Begala and Steve Schmidt.
Begala is a commentator for CNN, where he is part of the political team that has won both an Emmy and a Peabody Award.
In the 2012 campaign he was a senior adviser for the pro-Obama Super PAC.
After helping engineer Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign with his partner, James Carville, Begala served as counselor to the President, one of Clinton’s closest aides. He has consulted for political campaigns across the country and around the world.
Begala is an affiliated professor of Public Policy at Georgetown University.
Along with James Carville and GOP strategist Karl Rove, he was recently inducted into the American Association of Political Consultants’ Hall of Fame.
Schmidt served as a top strategist to President George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign.
Following Bush’s successful re-election, Schmidt served as deputy assistant to the President and counselor to the Vice President.
He departed the White House in 2005 to lead the re-election effort of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose landslide victory earned Schmidt “GOP Campaign Manager of the Year” from the American Association of Political Consultants.
In 2007, Schmidt served as a senior advisor to John McCain’s presidential bid helping him secure the Republican nomination.
Schmidt was later played by Woody Harrelson in the HBO film Game Change, based on chapters of the book by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin that focus on the choice of Sarah Palin as McCain’s running mate.
Schmidt approved of the film, saying, “It tells the truth of the campaign….”
Currently a political analyst for MSNBC and frequent guest on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, he also serves as vice-chairman of public affairs at Edelman, where he is a strategic counselor to chief executive officers.
Following the dialogue, there will be a Q&A and refreshments.
Tickets are $15 or 2@$25. For further information about subscription discounts and to purchase tickets, call (516) 482-5701.
Temple Emanuel of Great Neck is located at 150 Hicks Lane in Great Neck.
