iis and python

[tech]

I am going to do a project building a web front end  while my friend is
going to build the back end.

The backend will be MS SQL. The front end will be a web interface, IIS 5.0
or whatever comes with win2k .

I have a choice of doing php or python.

In order to use python it would have to entail cgi or ASP. Is this correct.
Or is there an alternative. I dont know if Zope is the right thing. I hate
DTML.

Is using python in ASP a pain in the but? Am I going to have to learn a
whole technology just to implelment python well into it?

I hear troubleshooting ASP pages is not fun.

The only time I have used iis is with php and it was a total snap. Painless.