PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Penguins president and Beechview native David Morehouse's career has taken him from behind a welding mask to the halls of global power all the way to Mellon Arena.

Video: 1-On-1 With Morehouse

An injury ended his welding career after high school and forced Morehouse to attend college. There, he got involved in local politics and became an advisor to one president, and central to two more presidential campaigns.

Since moving on, Pens owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle brought Morehouse in to make their new arena deal a reality.

"I always believed we would stay in Pittsburgh," said Morehouse. "There were times I was concerned that other people didn't understand how important we were to Pittsburgh. The uniqueness of the team and our hockey fans convinced the political leaders around here that we belonged in Pittsburgh."

Morehouse knew his way around the system after working as a White House strategist for President Bill Clinton's drug policy.

"I used to stop every day and look at the Supreme Court, and the Capitol building and every day I would pinch myself," said Morehouse.

After a stint at Harvard, getting his master's, Morehouse then went on to be senior counselor to then-Vice President Al Gore through the controversial 2000 election.

This weekend, you will see an actor playing Morehouse in the HBO film "Recount," as Morehouse was the man who stopped Gore from conceding to Bush.

"They have a guy who looks like John Belushi playing me," said Morehouse. "Sure my mother will be happy."

But she is even happier Morehouse is in Pittsburgh now.

First, Morehouse served as John Kerry's senior consultant and travelling chief of staff in the 2004 campaign.

After that, the call from Lemieux and Burkle came. Morehouse said the position was supposed to be temporary though.

"There is a lot of challenge ahead, new arena, the development around it, bringing a cup back to Pittsburgh," he said.

So, which was more exciting, walking the halls of power with a president, or being president of a team that just might bring that Stanley Cup home?

"Working at the White House was an honor, a deep honor to be able to do that," he said. "Working for the Penguins is a blast."

In the meantime, "Recount" premieres on Sunday night on HBO.

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