very, very much. we'll see you again 11:00 p.m. tonight. tonight. cnn tonight" starts right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >> 23 million people can't be wrong. that's how many americans were watching at one point during sunday's usa/portugal world cup heartbreaker, the most watched soccer match in united states history. what has happened to america? what's behind our new obsession with the world's favorite game? i'm going to talk to the proud family of team usa captain clint dempsey. also the superlawyers who give new meaning to the phrase odd koppel. they went head to head in one of the biggest supreme court battles in history and now they're on the same side. make sure you tweet us using the #ask don. first, i want to give you my take on the world cup and why so many are so interested. yes, some people, the diehard fans love the game. but let's just be honest here. a whole lot of these bandwagon

jump kers just love looking at the players from women, the gay and straight men to the questionable. i can't tell you how many times i have heard, oh my god, such and such is so hot. dude, i want abs like so and so. just before the show, a very respected political strategist called me and said have you been paying attention to niece these soccer guys. my answer, i can't talk. her response, they're so hot. i can't stop much waing. my answer, good-bye. all last week and this weekend, all anyone has been talking about was the hotness of reynaldo, neymar and zeus a. and meeks. that is the hot mugshot guy. as a culture, we are obsessed with good looks, hotness. in my humble opinion, we are your pushing the limits on style or looks over substance. there's no doubt ta mugshot guy and the soccer players are easy on the eyes but do mugshot guys' dreamy eyes and keek bones trump his violent criminal past and

present? his street gang affiliation? rain nald dose's rock hard peks more important than athletic prowess? who knows. i did spend hours this weekend test messaging my nieces about mugshot guy. i did watch every single moment, every minute of the world cup. cheering in a room full of strangers. and if you ask most of these new fans who is team usa played, they would probably have no idea. let's get started with the world cup right now. it's more than just a sport. it is a global phenomenon, culture, style and the language that every nation in the world speaks fluently. soccer. here's cnn's nick valencia. >> the epicenter of latin nap culture in atlanta and today ground zero for world cup fever. fans gather to watch the game of the day, mexico versus croatia. there's no question who this crowd wants to win. >> who's going to win the world

cup? >> mexico. >> from the kids to the pets, everyone seems to have a dog in the fight. >> princess is definitely more excited about this world cup, hi. >> yeah. >> why you might expect mexican fans to be this diehard about their club. >> usa, usa. >> the excitement for the 2014 word cup spreads far beyond the traditional fans. especially here in the united states. a record 18.2 million viewers tuned in to watch the u.s. tie portugal. the reason for all the eyeballs? the games are good. some say it's a higher than average goal count, for others the good looking players make watching easy on the eyes. and the heightened interest in this country could also have something to do with the u.s. fielding a team worth cheering for. the family of u.s. soccer captain clint dempsey not the only ones excited about the team's chances but they certainly have an added incentive. >> this whole world cup has been awesome because there's been a

lot of upsets and surprises. so i think that they're just waiting to get an opportunity to surprise everyone and show that they're, you know, the underdogs but that they're going to come out on top. >> some worried about not coming out on top. american employers who may worry about losing money because workers are watching the games played during business hours. those still unconvinced of their undying love for the support still have plenty of time. three weeks to warm up to the frenzy. you'd better hurry. this might turn out to be the best world cup of all time. nick valencia, cnn, atlanta. >> nick, thank you very much. live to the copa cobana beach in rio where can fred pleitgen is toughing it out on assignment tonight. you lucky man. what's account atmosphere like in rio now? >> reporter: the atmosphere in rio is amazing tonight. the one of the reasons for that being that the brazilian team

tonight made the jump into the next round. so many of the people here who are obviously brazilian are celebrating this day. brazil topped their group and playing chile next. in general what you have here is many, many people from many different cultures coming together and cheering each other on. it really is a truly multicultural experience that you get here on the copacabana these days. >> you said brazil won tonight. can the u.s. make it out of this group of death? >> reporter: i'll tell you one thing. this group of death was very, very tough but the u.s. is in a great position to make it to the next round. now, they face germany which is obviously a world cup powerhouse. they won the cup three times and have been in more finals than any other team in the world. they've also shown weaknesses against guana. the u.s. has been playing a great tournament. everybody who watch the game between the u.s. and portugal says the u.s. played better than portugal. they were very unlucky to get that the last goal. if they win against germany and

draw, they're definitely in the next round, even if they lose, portugal would have to score at least five goals against ghana to make it past the u.s. they're in a very, very good position at this point. >> i wonder who fred is rooting for the. you are german. how will the u.s. connection -- the u.s. coach is a former german star and some of the best players on the person team have a german background. is that going to help? >>. >> well, it certainly is something intriguing because not only does america have jurgen klinsmann but also the current coach of the german team was the apprentice of jurgen klinsmann. they formed german football together, if you will. as you said, many of the players on the u.s. team actually have a german background. anthony brooks went to the school that my kids go to. he lives right around the corner from where i live in berlin. it really helps the american team. it gives them a style that

jurgen klinsmann can work with well. certainly a lot of player who's come from germany have done very, very well for america. but what jurg condition klinsmann has managed to do is managed to instill an american spirit in that team. one of the things you can see in the team is that they never give up even when they're down. they fight harder than ever before. that's something has impressed not only american fans but fans around the world. >> joakim love. >> who are you rooting for, fred? >> it's tough for me. i spent so much time in america. i love america very much. but i am going to go with germany. i've been wearing my german jersey. there's certain things i have to go with my home country but i also hope america advances to the next round. america getting far in the tournament is something that is good for soccer around the world. >> nice working with you, fred. maybe there's a german version of cnn. kidding. thank you very much.

frederik pleitgen. as exhilarating as clint dempsey's goal was for any fan of the u.s., imagine what it felt like for his family watching in texas. joining me now, lance and ashleigh dempsey, team usa clint dempsey's brother and sister-in-law. we have spoke on to them before. when last we spoke, there was a baby crying in the background. of was excited. there you are on camera. your brother was the star of the show for the u.s. again last night. what sort of emotional roller coaster did you go through watch the game yesterday? >> well, don, that's exactly it. it's an emotional roller coaster and it's just excitement and then with that will last minute equalizer, it was just -- we were just defeated. but we're actually in a good spot. i should be more positive. >> who is that taking their shirt off there? >> i'm trying to work on my physique a little bit but yeah, that was me unfortunately.

>> you're trying to get abs like your brother-in-law. >> trying. >> ashleigh, describe the moment when the portugal scored in the last seconds. were you all deb stated? >> oh, yes. i would say we went from a ten to a one real quick. it was the excitement in the room. it was last minute. we thought beat had it in the bag. everybody just kind of holding their breath and then that goal. it was just silence and everyone just sick at their stomachs, you know, we just had fought so hard and were really hoping for a win. but the in end, we were happy with a tie so. >> lance your brother is having a fantastic tournament. even with a broken nose. >> yes. >> lou is he preparing for thursday's game? >> i don't know how he's preparing for it, but he just needs to keep doing exactly what he's doing because he is just becoming an exciting player to watch. and a hero for the u.s. fans all around the country.

>> that has to be special. have you spoken to him? >> text messages. i know that he's busy and maybe i'm a little superstitious on messing with success. >> yeah. >> can he score against the germans? >> yes, can he's a -- he's done it before. in games against germany. so -- and he's got the -- he's got the feel for goal and i think he's addicted to scoring. and i think he's going to keep it going. >> all right. well, we hope so. ashleigh, you had a big group that joined you last time including clint's grandparents. are you entertaining again this thursday? and am i invited? >> of course you are. yes. the more the merrier. i think the more we have, the better our chances are of winning. we all need to be there rooting them on. it's exciting having everyone there. if you can't be in brazil, what's better than having your

family together there celebrating ready for this next win because we're going to win. we're excited. >> don't let me taking my shirt off scare you. >> don't be scared of the shirts coming off. >> ashleigh, we talked about people watching, a lot of ladies because the guys are easy on the eyes. what do you make of that, people are tuning in because of the good looks of the guys? >> i think if it brings more attention to the sport, if that's what it takes, then you know, hey, i'm a hairdresser. so i see ladies all the time. so that's one way to get them tuning into the game. so -- >> well, lance. >> i think it's exciting >> good luck with your abs. ashleigh good luck with entertaining next time. we'd love to have you back on. appreciate it. >> thank you so much. >> congratulations. >> thank you. >> when we come back, stars on and off the field. the trends that are feeding our world cup obsession. plus, two superlawyers on opposite sides of the biggest supreme court battle ever battles with an "s" plural.

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every four years, world cup mania runs ramp and the around the globe. this year more americans than ever are joining the party. specifically more women. why is that? is it the early success of the

u.s. team or could it be the players themselves? joining me now via skype carly lloyd a midfielder on the usa women's soccer team. eva chin, eder to of lucky magazine and rachelle nichols host of unguarded friday nights at 10:30. 10:30 eastern time. carly, you're an incredibly successful footballer for the national team. why do you think that the nation has finally caught world cup fever? it appears finally. >> you know, i think a lot of reasons. i think for one, mls has done really well. number two, streaming games. we've had games on fox sports 1, espn, so everybody's able to tune in and watch the games. i think that's a big, big reason. but it's great. i'm loving it. i wish i it could go on every year. >> it's very cool. i don't know if it would have the same appeal. but rachelle, how do the interest levels now compare to

other sports? taken off in a way it has never done before. why now? >> it's absolutely amazing. this is america. american football still rules. ratings for the nfl and college football are still higher but other than that, other than american football, sunday night's game was the most viewed sporting event ever on espn. and then you add in the univision audience, nearly 7 million for sunday night's game and the confluence of those forces created in great tv moments. it helps it was on sunday night when a lot of people are at home watching tv. there's not a lot of sports going on right now. it's the kind of thing where you point out it's only every four years. people are dipping in, they're interested. the communal spirit is the so. great watch parties in new york and chicago and kansas city and all over the country. that extends to people's living rooms, as well. you just showed the dempsey's living room. people can watch it with neighbors and families. you could call your sister in

california if you live in new york and you're both rooting for the same team which doesn't happen with pro sports or you and your neighbor maybe went to different college and root for different college teams, you're all rooting for team usa. >> also, rachelle, as i was describing to people when we were talking about this in our meeting this morning is that it feels special for a specialer -- it feels more special. if you look at the expanse of the stadium, the wide shots, the crowd cheers, i mean, it does feel special. it's beautiful and it's vet very colorful. and not to mention you know, i know this is not your expertise. people love looking at the guys. >> yeah, don, i guess so. you know, it's a little tough for me to swallow that argument because i watch athletes in all sports who are great shape. espn be about to put out its annual body issue which shows athletes of all different kinds and genders and beautiful men and women who play sports.

athletics puts you in great shape. it's why we push physical education in this country. i think people are interested in the games. i think it's fun and exciting. people get swept up on it. soccer is the greatest participation sport for kids in this country. you're now seeing kids who are grown up on the game, all those orange slices that your mom brought as you were on the field and as kids grow up and we see the youth numbers of viewership rise, as well, that's adding to it, as well. >> i didn't mean to have you comment on the part about the guys but the way it looks, it's beautiful to look at. it's very colorful. the expanse of the stadium feels very international for some reason and because it is. and so i think that's part of it, as well. eva, let's digging in more and talk to you about the sex appeal at the world cup. i mean, i have a feeling a lot of women and men out there are watching because of the hot factor. what do you think? >> i will go there. i think it helps that the men are incredibly attractive. have you these guys in clingy

jerseys. they might be dewey from running an entire stadium length. and they're ripping their shirts off every moment they get. i'll go there. i'll say it. i do think the beauty and athleticism, of course the sheer talent in the stadium is hugely important. but it's a beautiful sport to watch. it's a very elegant sport, as well. it combines power, athleticism, endurance and guys with their torsos exposed. great looks. so it's kind of has everything. >> i'm glad you went there. eva, maybe the best example of that bravado off the field is cristiano ronaldo on the cover of span in iraq vogue naked with his fiance. one of the reasons women are watching in greater numbers. >> i think when you see that cover, it's just let me have a moment of silence to appreciate the sheer beauty of his form. obviously, he's a crazy talented guy. you brought up the point earlier. his talent, look, which is

better. i think they're equally paramount. it's the david beckham effect. like david beckham has the talent and also is not bad easy on the eyes. if you're the whole package like so many of these players are, i think they're also savvy in terms of endorsements and just being out there promoting themselves on social media. so it's a whole new age. i think the beauty of these men which again i will be the one to say it, i don't think it's any different from say he miss usa or victoria's secret. those are very different because sports, it's a very specific talent. but you know, at the same time, it's like -- it's not that different i think. >> his abs aren't that great. mine look like that in my dreams. rachelle, david beckham really did pave the way by joining the l.a. galaxy team. do you think this newfound soccer obsession is it lasting or a passing fad? >> do i think the mls major league soccer in the united

states is gog pick up more viewers? absolutely. i don't think there's any question that people who maybe before who said i'm not going to watch soccer are more familiar with the game and strategies after watching this world cup. i don't think you're going to see this huge jump in soccer viewership during the season. i do think that once it's every year, the american league hasn't caught up to the european league in terms of the level of skill and talent, i'm not sure it's going to have a huge ripple effect but will it have a pebble on the water? absolutely no question. rising tide helps all boats. >> carly, we'll get you in a little bit, as well. stick with me. because when we come right back, the world cup goes viral. is it a smash hit online, as well? yes, it is. carli, i want to talk to you about that when we come right back. yes. but you're progressive and they're them. -yes. -but they're here. -yes. -are you... -there? -yes. -no. -are you them?

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americans have never been as obsessed with the world cup as they are now. social media could have a lot to do with that. i'm back now with carli lloyd, eva chin and rachel nichols. take a look at the twitter traffic during the portugal, usa match. twitter literally blew up with each goal. so why is this world cup different than any of the other world cups? why is twitter going crazy over it. >> i this i they need into each other. certainly have more people on twitter than before. it's growing every year. we're talking before about the communal experience. it's a great way to sort of share with your friends who might not be around with you are, feel like you're all watching it together. and again, because everybody in

the country is basically rooting for the same team. it just makes that communal feeling more exponential. you might be watching an nfl game and on twitter following along with your chicago bears tweets but there's a lot of people rooting for the new york giants. if everyone on your twitter feed is celebrating the same goal at the same time, it adds to the experience. >> carli, i want to ask you this. it's like we want to figure out a reason. why is this, why is that. maybe it's a natural progression of the sport. what do you think? >> honestly, there's no denying the fact that there are some attractive men players as well as female players. but i think you know, as far as the u.s. women's national team, we prided ourselves over the years of creating kind of a never say die attitude. the will, determination, so i think the dramatic games that we have and obviously in the men's world cup there's been dramatic games, there's been upsets. i think that's more what the

fans like to see. the u.s. men's gape the other night, unbelievable match. and you know, that's what fans are looking for. those dramatic games. when we've had a dramatic game in the 2011 world cup with abby scoring in the late end of the game and stoppage time. so i think that's what fans want to see. it's tough because when there's no score on the board, if it's 0-0, the fans kind of lose interest. when it's dramatic and there's excitement and things going on, i think that's when we gravitate. >> is there any professional jealousy because the women's team for years have been better than the men's team, had more winning seasons than the men. now the men are getting all this attention now. what do you make of that? >> well, i think it comes in strides, right? obviously their world cup is before ours. and they've done well. they did well last world cup, doing well this world cup. i think it's a little hard to compare the two. you know, competing on men's side of things, there's a lot of

countries that are really, really doing, as well and really strong. you have the women's side who i think the u.s. has always been on top for a good decade now. but i think that a lot of teams are catching up. it's making it really hard for us to stay on top. but that's what we want. we want teams catching us and want the world of soccer gravitating toward's women sports. >> yesterday's game most watched soccer game in u.s. history. the german game could be even bigger. do you think the u.s. could win? >> they could win. they could draw which is all they need to do. we're conditioned in the united states not to think of ties as good things and all of our other sports leagues. think about how far we go to get away from a tie, overtime or shoot-out in hockey or all kinds of stuff. actually in in realm, going to a draw is just fine. germany and the u.s. would both advance with a draw. there's certainly not only a theory if everything is clean and above board, that both teams might be playing a little more

defensively. you wouldn't see as much scoring. you might end up in a tie. you mentioned the fact that the u.s. coach used to be the coach of the german program. there's a lot of german americans on team. everybody likes to think maybe the german coach and u.s. coach are going to chat and decide they should go to a draw. nobody thinks that will happen in this case. jurgen klinsmann has proven himself above reproach. if you hear about it in the next couple days, it has happened in the past. with germany. back then, it was west germany, 1982. everyone involved has pretty much acknowledged they and austria somewhat col included to get themselves both into the next round. you'll hear a lot about that over the next couple days, as well. it's a good side story. it gets people interested. >> there's nothing that you don't know the about sports. you always amaze me. eva, let's talk for people not so sportsy, let's talk about the trends we're seeing on the field. plenty of wild hairstyles.

i'm noticing tattoos are probably as big if not bigger than the nba. >> exactly. i mean, i think we're going to see a lot of men's grooming tips out of this and a lot of the trends. lots of beards, lots of hairstyles. the styles have been extreme. obviously you have ronaldo's zig-zag in his hair which portedly he did in homage of a young boy who was ---ing >> it's great if he did that. but he's been doing that for years. lots of people have been getting parts cut into their hair for years. especially african-american who's don't have longer straighter hair. we cut parts on our hair. doing that for years. that's not a new thing. >> it's a very interesting thing no matter what. if it is true, the story that he did it to kind of raise awareness and help this young boy, how amazing is that. >> that would be great. >> in an decision to his abs of steel, also a heart of gold. >> dreadlocks, as well. >> kyle beckerman. i mean, think he is one of the coolest guys, go team usa. and i think that also he's just

like he has his own unique style which we love. and yes, i do not mind looking at that picture. then he also is rocking another trend, the beards. really i think razor sales i hate to say it, sorry companies. they might go down because everyone is rocking scruff at the world cup. a few of my girlfriends e-mailed me the hot bearded men at the world cup. they're also very talented and, et cetera, et cetera. but you know what, on thetification maybe the ladies get to do it a little bit too. >> we know they're also very talented. you should. my switter feed saying can't talk about the hot factor without out posting up a picture of this hottie. who is it? tim howard, right. >> yes. >> with the beard. >> he was up there in her little six packs of hair. he was there with the big beard. >> he's got the beard, abs and the tats, as well. >>en at talent and amazing amazing save. >> wouldn't it be great if a

six-pack became the trend for everybody? that would be great. i pulled out might t 25 and did a little work. >> i think everyone's going to be hitting the gym hard after the world cup. >> carli, give me some redictions? >> you know, i'm going to go with the u.s. i believe that we will win. i think it's going to be a great game. it's going to be down to the wire. down to probably stoppage time. i'm going go with them on top. >> eva? >> i have to say usa. the match yesterday was just next level. the anticipation, the craziness like fingers crossed. >> and rachelle. >> i think they're going to advance whether it's a win, lose or draw because here's the. they could lose and still advance. that's all we need to care of about. american fans want to see their team into the next round. and there's a already good chance they could get there. it's going to be great. >> i'm a bandwagon jumper. the screaming in a place yesterday, a club, usa usa along with everybody else.

so go usa. i think it's unanimous. thank you, guys. great conversation. i appreciate all of you. coming up, talk about your odd couples. two superlawyers, one a republican, one a democrat. they fought all the way to the supreme court on bush v gore. now the new legal battle that's got them on the same side. she's still the one for you. and cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment is right. cialis is also the only daily ed tablet approved to treat symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently.

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more americans than ever before support marriage equality. a gallup poll last month found a record 55% say same-sex marriages should be legal. and in what may be the clearest sign the tide is turning, two super lawyers who are on opposite sides of one of the biggest supreme court battles in history are teaming up in the fight for marriage equality. joe johns has more. >> ted olsen and david boies, two true gladiators in the greatest legal battles of our age. but the ultimate odd couple, on opposing sides in up with of the most polarizing legal and political confrontations of this generation. the supreme court battle for the

white house in 2000. boyce for al gore, and olsen for george w. bush who would eventually become president in one of the closest elections in american history. it is an unlikely battle that brings these legal titans together. same-sex marriage. both attorneys spoke to cnn's gloria borger in an exclusive interview. >> i think we both came to the conclusion that we could probably be unbeatable if we were on the same side. but if we were on the opposite side, one of us would lose. >> that conclusion led them to challenge california's proposition 8, a law passed by voters banning same-sex marriage. a case olsen and boyce destroyeded. >> same-sex couples have every other right. it's just about the label. >> the label marriage means something. >> citing a technicality, the supreme court ruled in favor of olsen and boyce and cleared the aisle for long awaited wedding ceremonies in california. >> each of us came to grips in a

nonintellectual, nonam deck minimum way, a real world, real person way about how damaging this kind of discrimination is. >> while olsen and boyce admit their legal work helped move same-sex marriage closer to the goal of nationwide acceptance, critics say this issue should be decided by the people, not the courts. >> there is is flow moral or constitutional authority for federal judges to declare marriage to be anything other than between a man and a woman. >> the boyce and olsen strategy in the courts also created controversy within the ranks. some supporters of marriage equality fear trying to move too far to fast will create legal setbacks especially at a time when polls show a sizable number of americans are still as opposed to the idea. joe johns, cnn at the supreme court. >> joe johns, thank you very much. joining me the co-authors of redeeming the dream, the case for marriage equality, ted olsen and davis boyce. when most people think of boyce

and olsen, they think of hanging chads and the most divisive election in memory in 2000. how do you two end up being friends? >> the fact is that we worked against one another in that case but that was 14 years ago. since then, we've realized that we have a great deal in common. although we're at opposite ends of the political spectrum, we believe a lot in the same things. and both david and me and our wives have enjoyed socializing together, writing bicycles in europe and then when this opportunity came along to challenge proposition 8, we thought that if we joined forces, our respective law firms and the two of us, we could make a compelling case to the american people that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation denying the rights to the gay and lesbian citizens that the rest of us have to marry, we could be successful. >> it's very -- i find it very

interesting that many people see this as a little issue, a sort of right versus left conservative versus liberal issue. when for many people, when you think who are not partisan, it's just about equal and civil rights. how can you deny someone the same rights as an american that you have. is it that simple? >> i think it is that simple. this is a question of constitution rights. fundamental rights. the supreme court has held repeatedly that marriage is one of the most fundamental rights that any of us can have. and the question is, can you deprive somebody of that fundamental right because of their sexual orientation. and that's not a question to be decided at the ballot box. that's a question to be decided in the courts just as every constitutional question is. the aim people who are objecting now to marriage ago.

against interracial marriage that is now being used against -- >> maybe it was tougher for david than it was for you because people may see this as a betrayal that you're somehow betraying your conservatism by fighting for same-sex marriage when you say -- i think your quote is that family is a conservative issue. discrimination is not a conservative issue. why are conservatives fighting for people not being able to get married? >> exactly. marriage is a conservative value. coming together of two individuals who love one another, who want to form an abesiding enduring relationship, to become a part of a community to raise a family, to become a part of our society and enjoy equal rights. >> but ted, i'm going to play devil's advocate here. because marriage is between one man and one woman. it's nod adam and steve.

it's adam and eve. >> as david will say, that's a bumper sticker. that's when people say i get to define marriage as between a man and a woman and when david talked about interracial marriage a short while ago and just a moment ago in this conversation, it's not marriage between persons of the opposite sex. it's marriage between people who love one another. >> okay. ted, david, stay with me. we'll come right back. i want to talk about the race for the white house and find out if you still agree when it comes to the leading republicans and leading dras. your thoughts on politics coming up. udy. [ barks ] [ chuckles ] i'd do anything to keep this guy happy and healthy. that's why i'm so excited about these new milk-bone brushing chews. whoa, i'm not the only one. it's a brilliant new way to take care of his teeth. clinically proven as effective as brushing. ok, here you go. have you ever seen a dog brush his own teeth? the twist and nub design cleans all the way down to the gum line, even reaching the back teeth.

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on the zte valet, now just $49.99. tracfone. do everything for less. ted olsen, david boies have joined forces on the battle for marriage equality but do they still have their differences when it cops to the other big stories of the day? back with me, ted olsen and david boies. first, are you gripped by the world cup like the rest of the nation is is? >> probably not so much. >> absolutely. it's a fascinating thing. we haven't had time to watch every single one of these games. but to see people come together and to see the people that the cheering that's going on and the

excitement, it's contagious. >> i know nothing about soccer and the world cup. i just want to be part of it so i go to as many viewing parties as i can. let's talk about hillary clinton and joe biden, both making statements about their wealth or joe vide's lack thereof. he says he's not wealthy. this week in an interview hillary clinton said she and her husband pay full income taxes unlike a lot of people who are truly well off. not to be outdone, of course, joe viden told a forum spotlighting working families that he has no stocks, no bonds and to savings account. what are your reactions on that squaring off for the nomination of 2016? >> david, you talk about the democrats. >> i'll talk about the democrats. >> i think it's a sideshow. i think this is a media-created issue. i think that both hillary clinton and joe biden have made their lives devoted to working class issues.

trying to get better education, better health care, more employment. balance add budget, the kinds of things that benefit the middle class. and i think that this issue as to who has less money or who pays more taxes is a media issue. not something between the two of them. >> ted? do you agree with him? he sounds like he's saying they're the greatest. >> look, they're both fine vils who serve our country extremely well. i have great respect for hillary clinton and joe biden. i do agree with david. this is a sideshow. it has very little to do with how someone can govern and the choices and the policy judgments that will be made. i don't know how we got into that particular battle. the one mistake they both made was getting into it. they should have moved on. >> ted, can we talk more about the republican party? it has been said the republican party is not widening the tent but limiting the tent when it comes to gay people, hispanics, many minorities when it comes to women, and on and on.

do you think that is true? can the republican party survive if it continues on the road it's on? >> the republican party cannot survive if it's a narrow party. and it must reach out to the groups that you mentioned. i believe that ittal. and it is changing. i've seen changes just during the time that david and i have been together in five years. doing our best to talk about marriage equality and to talk about equality for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters. we're not doing this alone by any stretch of the imagination but the fact that we were on opposite sides in bush versus gore gave people an opportunity to say, what are you doing and why are you doing it? gave us a chance to talk about that. i think that the republican party is moving in. the right direction on all of these things and i do agree with the thrust of your question. it certainly needs to. >> david, i know education, you can respond to that. would you like to move on and talk about education? >> we can move on. >> and education is important to you. how does the education system, particularly the cost of college

in the united states need to be reformed? a big issue is equality not only in income but marriage equality for liberals. >> i think education is a basic civil right. we've got to recognize that people need to be entitled to an education in this corrupt no matter what the income of their parents may be. and no matter what part of the country they may live in. we don't decide whether we're going to send a fire truck or a police car to a neighborhood depending on how much money the people in that neighborhood make. but that's the way our educational system, would. we've also got to refor the structure of education. we spend a lot of money in this corrupt and we don't get enough out of it. we've had one of the highest expenditures per pupil of any place in the world but our actually he educational output ranks very low. we've got to reform the structure. we've got to get more support for charter schools. we've got to give people more of an opportunity to equally participate in the educational system. if we don't, that's not only

unfair to our citizens, but it's terrible for the future of this country. >> david, i want to ask you about something else in the news. abu khattala who is a suspect now in custody for the benghazi attacks. the u.s. attorney general says he's going to be tried in a u.s. court rather than a mirt court. do you think that's the correct place for him to be tried? >> i don't know enough about it. my instinct is it was not a normal civilian criminal operation but a military operation. but i don't know enough about it. the idea of trying terrorists in our normal court system is not one that i have generally thought was a sensible idea. >> well, on that, i think david makes a very good point. it's very difficult to take someone out of foreign soil where terrorism is going on and then expect the criminal justice system to work. how do you get witnesses? do you subpoena people that were

in benghazi? do you take military people off the field to have them testify? it's a very, very complicated subject. and that's why there have been military tribunals for as long assing this country existed to deal with circumstances like that. i'm not prejudging what the attorney general or the president have decided to do with this particular individual. because like david, i don't know the facts and it's not appropriate for us to speculate. >> ted olsen, david boies, thank you very much. i appreciate you coming on cnn. good luck with the book. coming up this week's cnn hero takes families out to the ball game and helps them change their lives. because what we all really want... ...is more. there's a reason it's called an "all you can eat" buffet. and not a "have just a little buffet". that's the idea behind the more everything plan. it's more of everything you want. for less. plus, get the droid maxx by motorola for 0 down.

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onephay, onephay! really, pig latin? [ male announcer ] geico. anywhere, anytime. just an aptay away on the geico appay. for many people, a baseball game is a family tradition, but for those on the autistic spectrum, one in 68 american children, it can lead to a public meltdown. when this week's cnn hero realized fear leads many to isolate themselves, she took action helping them enjoy their lives out in the world including america's favorite pasttime. >> going to new experiences with my son is a gamble.

are you on edge all the time. >> help. >> just breathe. >> when he's having a meltdown on the floor and the whole entire store is looking at you like you're a bad mom, you want to go and crawl under a rock. it's challenging. >> i stay in sometimes because it's easier for him to be around all of his toys. i'm afraid. >> as a developmental pediatrician, i do a lot of diagnosing of autism. much when i heard that my families were afraid to go out, i felt like i needed to find a way to help them. every day experiences like going to a baseball game can be a challenge for kids with autism. music, lights, the noise -- there's a lot of unexpected sensory things lapping. >> how are you? >> good, how are you. >> are you ready to go? >> i work with the philly to train all 3,000 people that work

at the bompastor. autism is a social disability. so it needs to be addressed in the community. we prepare the families with a storybook of experiences that may happen at the park. and then he we provide supportive gape experiences sort of like a safety net. >> yes. >> if you start taking steps outside of your door, your world gets bigger and bigger. >> he's having fun. one success means more success. >> it's about more than a game. it's about opportunity. >> hopefully, there will be zoos in our future and aquariums. the world is our oyster. >> very nice. that's it for us tonight. i'm don lemon. see you back here tomorrow night. "ac 360" starts right now. "ac 360" starts right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com thanks for joining us. the question is how many americans who risked their lives for this country have died waiting for karat the va. tonight a wle