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Biden, Ryan Prep For Tonight's Debate; Jobless Claims Hit Four- Year Low; House Panel Probes Consulate Attack; "Taliban Is On The Inside" Of The Consulate; Biden, Ryan Step Up To The Podium; Agency Releases Lance Armstrong Report; Space Station Captures "Dragon"; "Coming Out" Experiment; VP Candidates May Collide on Amtrak
Aired October 11, 2012 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Caught up in sports and the news. Next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM begins right now.
Stories we're watching right now in the NEWSROOM. Eleven hours and counting, Paul Ryan, Joe Biden, getting ready for tonight's only vice presidential debate.
What happens when a straight man starts telling everyone he's gay, an author's journey of walking in someone else's shoes.
Only a handful of people on earth have ever been where Suni Williams has been and doing what he's doing commanding International Space Station and we're talking to her, live, excuse me, live in about 30 minutes.
An overwhelming evidence public about the alleged doping by seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. Where's does the start go from here? The NEWSROOM starts right now.
Good morning, everybody. Don Lemon sitting in for Carol Costello this morning.
It is the undercard of the title fight. It's now just 11 hours until the bell rings at the vice presidential debate. Paul Ryan is trying to keep that new Republican momentum alive and Joe Biden facing a formidable foe in himself, of course.
Most registered voters view him unfavorably that's according to a new poll from the Pew Research Center that 51 percent compared to only 39 percent who hold a favorable opinion.
Ryan better in both areas, 44 percent favorable compared to 40 percent unfavorable rating. CNN's Dana Bash sat down with Paul Ryan for an exclusive interview.
And Dana joins us this morning. Did he tell you how he prepared for tonight's one and only vice presidential debate? I'm sure he was meticulous.
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Very meticulous, that is the perfect word to describe how he described himself. A lot of reading, a lot of studying and, really, he's been doing it since just about the moment Mitt Romney picked him as the vice presidential running mate.
He also has had those mock debates that we talked a lot about before the presidential debate. He has been doing those with Ted Olson who is the renowned solicitor general. He's a renowned litigator in the country.
He has been doing that in hotel rooms from Oregon, to Virginia, to Florida, but I also asked him about whether or not his preparation included putting a phone call in to Sarah Palin to get some tips.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BASH: The only other person to debate Joe Biden in a vice presidential debate is Sarah Palin. Have you called her for advice?
REP. PAUL RYAN, (R-WI) VICE PRESIDENTIAL nominee: You know, I haven't. I don't really know her. I only met her once and that was about two years ago.
BASH: Would you call her?
RYAN: Sure, sure.
BASH: She famously or maybe infamously said that she wanted to call him Joe, because she kept calling him Joe O'Biden in debate.
RYAN: Well, you know, I known Joe a long time and -- he knows me as Paul. I know him as Joe, I haven't give didn't thought to that to be honest with you, probably not, unless he wants to make it casual, but we know each other. Actually, we've gone the along quite well over the years. I like Joe personally quite a bit. I just disagree with his policies.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BASH: You know, I don't think that you can discount the fact that they do know each other, Don, a very different dynamic than President Obama and Mitt Romney, who had only met each other a handful of times.
Ryan and Biden worked together for years in Congress. They've certainly dealt with each other, as Ryan has been budget chair and Biden has been Vice President.
And that is also going to sort of add to the dynamic that we're going to see that is different from last week in that they'll be sitting at a table kind of a talk show style.
And so that combined with the personalities and their relationship is going to make for a very interesting back and forth between the two of them.
LEMON: Interesting to say the least. I can't wait to watch this one. Thank you, Dana Bash. We'll be watching. Dana will be there as well. Joe Biden also behind closed doors preparing for tonight's debate. Here's what he had to say one week ago before launching his intensive debate camp.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: All debates are tough, but I'm looking forward to it. What I've been doing mostly is, quite frankly, studying up on -- on Congressman Ryan's positions on the issues. And -- and -- and Governor Romney has embraced, at least everything I can see -- I don't want to say anything in the debate that's not completely accurate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, there is one fact that both men can agree on. The stakes in this vice presidential debate are usually, are unusually high.
With the race is still volatile and too close to call, any blunder, any blunder, could echo on the campaign trail for the remaining 26 days before the election. So not surprisingly, both running mates are playing down the expectations for their guy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think Joe just needs to be Joe. Congressman Ryan is -- a smart and effective speaker, but his ideas are the wrong ones, and Joe understands that.
MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: This is, I think, Paul's first debate. I may be wrong. He may have done something in high school I don't know, but it will be a new experience for Paul, but I'm sure he'll do fine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Joining us now to provide some perspective is Larry Sabato. He is the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.
Good morning, Larry. You know, conventional wisdom says people vote for president, not for vice president, but there is particular interest in this vice presidential debate, and more importance placed on it. Why?
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Well, first, Don, the conventional wisdom is right. People don't vote for vice president, and my guess is they're not going to do it this year either, but it's still very important for two reasons.
One the more general and compelling reason is that nine vice- presidents in American history have become president without being elected to the office. They've succeeded to the office.
So we the people ought to pay attention to who these people are running for vice president what they stand for, but I think the other reason is because of what happened in Denver, the dud in Denver for President Obama.
The pressure is greater here on Joe Biden, on Vice President Biden, and you know, it's a tough needle to thread for him. He doesn't want to be too aggressive.
He doesn't want to be too low key, but he needs to restore some enthusiasm among some Democrats who were very unhappy with the President's performance.
LEMON: Not just enthusiasm, Larry. I mean, he needs to reverse some momentum. Don't you think? And Ryan merely has to maintain it. Even if Ryan does OK, he'll come off as, you know, doing great, because of -- you know, he's much younger than Joe Biden, hasn't been in the game as long as Joe Biden. So does Biden walk into that stage with a tougher challenge than Paul Ryan?
SABATAO: Yes, I think Biden has the tougher challenge tonight. He does have an advantage, though, as you've shown in your own poll there. People expect Biden to lose and Ryan to do better. That's because of their view of Joe Biden.
I think they might be surprised by Biden, just as they were surprised by Mitt Romney's performance in Denver. But, yes, Ryan simply has to maintain the momentum that was generated by his running mate, Mitt Romney.
If he does reasonably well, if he holds his own, if he even tie, I think that will be a plus for the Romney/Ryan ticket so the greater burden is on Biden. He does have longer experience at this. Certainly has done many more high profile debates and he'll need all the experience to do well.
LEMON: All right, again, I'm going to be watching. I know you will, and I would venture a guess this one may be rated higher than the presidential debate. Thank you very much, Larry Sabato. We appreciate it.
SABATO: Thank you, Don.
LEMON: So who has the most to lose at tonight's vice presidential debate? We're going to pose that question to Diane Black, the Republican representative from Tennessee, when she joins us.
Remember, you can watch CNN's live coverage of tonight's vice presidential debate, 7:00 Eastern is when it's going to get started.
U.S. jobless claims hit a four-year low. Applications for first-time unemployment benefits dropped sharply last week. About 339,000 people signed up. That's 30,000 fewer than a week before and the lowest level since February of 2008.
No support. That's what a former State Department security officer told lawmakers he got after asking for more help at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. The comments come as part of a congressional hearing investigating the Benghazi terrorist attack. The deadly attack was first blamed on the anti-Islam video and lawmakers went after that claim.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JASON CHAFFETZ, (R) UTAH: When I was in Libya, good part of the day, never once did a person ever mention a video, never.
And I am fascinated to know and understand from the President of the United States, from the secretary of state and the ambassador to the United Nations how they can justify that this video caused this attack. It was a terrorist attack. Let's be honest about it.
REP. GERRY CONNOLLY, (D) VIRGINIA: I certainly hope that today's hearing is not going to be perceived as an effort to exploit a tragedy for political purposes 27 days out from an election. I hope, in fact it is the down payment of a serious inquiry into how can we make this kind of thing not recur?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: September 11th, the attack in Libya took the lives of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.
Foreign affairs reporter Elise Labott joins us now from Washington. Man, that was a heated exchange just one, well, two, one from each, very heated.
But, listen, the concern here is too much politicization of this, and not getting to the bottom of it. I think people may be turned off by that if they see too much of it. Was there too much grandstanding, do you think?
ELISE LABOTT, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS REPORTER: I mean, for my taste, Don. I mean, there were a lot of important issues that needed to be addressed and a lot of important questions were asked, but some of us watching felt that it was more like kind of L.A. law than it was an oversight hearing trying to get to the bottom of what happened and more importantly how it could be prevented again.
Some of the important things that did come out, though, I mean, this Eric Nordstrom, the top U.S. security official in Libya months before the attack said, a request for additional security, that he made to the State Department were denied.
So that's an important thing to note. The State Department official, Charlene Lamb, who was there, she acknowledged that she did, but what she also said and the State Department says, look, we were outmanned that day.
No amount of reasonable security could have prevented that attack. It was 40 men that stormed the embassy, a real unprecedented type of attack. But, you know, there was some politics in there.
But also a good point that, you know, some of the Democrats made, that Republicans are responsible for some of the cuts to embassy security over the years. I mean, the State Department is being asked to do more with less at 270 posts around the world.
And the Republican-controlled House over the last few years has been responsible for some of that cut in funding. Let's take a listen to what Eric Nordstrom, the top U.S. security official said about the frustrations he was having in trying to get these additional resources.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC NORDSTROM, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT REGIONAL SECURITY OFFICER IN LIBYA: When I requested assets instead of supporting those assets I was criticized and somehow it was my responsibility to come up with a plan on the ground and not the responsibility for D.S.
I raised that specific point in a meeting with the D.S. director in March that 60 days there was no plan. And it was hope that everything would get better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LABOTT: And, Don, so what he was saying is, he felt there weren't going to get additional money until there was some kind of attack because even as resources were going down, his danger pay was going up. So obviously, State Department recognized it was a danger post. Question is, why didn't they provide that extra security -- Don.
LEMON: Big question. Elise Labott, thank you very much.
For the first time a commercial cargo ship delivers supplies to the International Space Station in helping bring it in, in the station is Commander Suni Williams. We're going to talk to her, live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Tonight, the center of the political universe will move far away from Washington to right here, Danville, Kentucky, where Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan will square off in a high stakes debate, high stakes.
The recent CNN/ORC poll shows the challenger with a solid advantage as 55 percent of likely voters say Ryan will win the big showdown compared to 39 percent for Biden.
Joining me now, both from New York, CNN contributors, Roland Martin and Will Cain. First to you, Will. All right, so who is the bigger challenge? Is it Biden, undo the damage from last week's performance or is it Ryan because he has to appear presidential and keep the momentum going?
WILL CAIN, COLUMNIST, THEBLAZE.COM: No, it's Biden. He has the biggest challenge because he has a little tonal tightrope to walk here. He's got to, as you said, make up for what seemed like a lack of aggressiveness, a lack of challenging Mitt Romney last week.
I think he's going to try to do that. I think he is going to come out strong and he's going to be aggressive, but he can't come off as overly aggressive, right?
So four years ago, everybody said Joe Biden, can't be overly aggressive. He can't attack Sarah Palin, that's a woman. But he's a little unleashed now. He's going to have expectations of aggressiveness.
I think he has to be careful not to overdo it because that doesn't play well against a man or a woman.
LEMON: OK, Roland, do you have anything to say about that?
ROLAND MARTIN, HOST, "WASHINGTON WATCH WITH ROLAND MARTIN": Yes, bottom line is, I think we need to stop this game of, well, who has more to lose, more to win. Let's put this in perspective for the American people.
We are going to see a debate between two people. One of them will be one heartbeat away from the presidency and so we need to see strong performances, strong content from both of them.
And so obviously, Vice President Joe Biden has to make up for what took place last week in terms of being able to lay out a critical inherent plan, but I don't think you can be over aggressive if somebody lying. I think what his job is to say if Congressman Paul Ryan is making statements, aren't true.
It's his job to correct him. Also this debate is a little bit different because foreign policy also is going to be a part of this debate as opposed to last week, it was just domestic policy.
LEMON: And Joe Biden definitely has the edge on that just from experience, but I mean, Roland, even when you're debating, you're in high school or a junior high school debate club, there is a winner and there is a loser. That's -- and in vice presidential and presidential debates, there is a winner and there is a loser.
MARTIN: Sure.
LEMON: It's about who performs better.
MARTIN: Also, let's break down how we define winning. Are we defining winning based upon a performance, in terms of who acted well, or defines winning based upon what they had to say?
And so bottom line is, so, again, we can base it upon performance. Will and I talked about this. So much is style over substance. People say they want substance, but they also love to vote on style.
Again, you're going to see a different tone this week and I think that Vice President Biden is going to be very aggressive. Forget overly. Aggressive going up against Ryan and Ryan will return the fire because they understand the stakes. I just want to say --
LEMON: I don't have time. We're running out of time here, but I think whoever defines, how do we define winning and losing? I think actually it's defined by the poll numbers because it clearly shows momentum on the Republican side.
MARTIN: But we also define it by the spin data as well.
LEMON: Let's talk more about polls. How I brought the poll numbers up, so many flying around. It's hard to know what exactly to believe about the state of the race. Take a look at Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART": The presidential race has tinted considerably. How do I know?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A new poll from the Pew Research Center.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gallup daily tracking poll.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rasmussen's swing state poll --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fox News poll.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Quinnipiac poll.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ABC News/"Washington Post" toll.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: NBC News/"Wall Street Journal"/Marist College poll.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The 7-11 metric, you get a red cup for the Republican, a blue cup for the Democrat.
STEWART: Of course, this is one small problem, though, this data coming in. Has a tendency to contradict itself. Just yesterday Obama was simultaneously up by four, down by two and tied with Mitt Romney.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Will, you know, he does have a point. Many of us think the same thing about polls. What do believe what not to believe, but I tell you one thing I noticed.
When Romney's down, the Republicans say the polls are fixed. They don't believe it. When Obama's down, Democrats say the polls are fixed, they don't believe it. Look, how much stock should we put in polls?
CAIN: I think this is one of the few things that Roland and I have an actual agreement upon. It's the limited value of polls. We're constantly trying to turn an election into a football game where we count the score midway through the game.
There's only one score, how the vote turns out at the end and until then you have a choice to make between two different sets of ideas. This poll taking is just a tip to make this entertaining along the way.
LEMON: It does offer a snapshot, does it not, Roland? Constantly moving?
MARTIN: guess what, the snap of the picture has blown right past us. The key for both campaigns is what is going to be turnout? Driving their people to the polls. The real analysis what are the numbers for early voting in the places that have already started?
That's going to be a real measurement. I don't -- I don't lose sleep over who's up, who's down, because at the end of the day, not a single person has ever been elected based upon a poll. Get your people out to vote if you want to win an election.
LEMON: The only polls that matter, the ones you have to get people to get to do vote. Thank you, Roland. Thank you, Will. Appreciate it.
You can watch CNN's live coverage of tonight's vice presidential debate beginning 7:00 Eastern.
A new report says Lance Armstrong and 11 ex-teammates in the drug testing system. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency releasing what it calls overwhelming evidence against Armstrong.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Lance Armstrong now faces the biggest hit to his cycling reputation yet. A 1,000-page report putting Armstrong at the center avenue massive doping scheme. Here's CNN's Casey Wian.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The United States Anti- Doping Agency has released what it calls overwhelming evidence that seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong quote, "doped throughout the majority of his professional cycling career."
In August, the agency banned Armstrong from competition for life. Now it's releasing more than 1,000 pages of evidence and sworn statements by 26 people including 11 of Armstrong's former teammates.
The USADA called it the most sophisticated professionalized and successful doping program that the sport has ever seen.
BILL STRICKLAND, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "BICYCLING" MAGAZINE: The Black Sox scandal in baseball. I think this is the seminal moment not just for cycling, but for sports, enhancing doping in sport.
WIAN: Several former Armstrong teammates released statements admitting their own doping histories and vowed to clean up the sport. Armstrong has repeatedly denied doping and his image has survived the scandal largely intact.
He's kept endorsements deals with Nike and Anheuser-Busch. One reason the well respected charity he founded 15 years ago, Live Strong has raised nearly half a billion dollars to fight cancer. A disease Armstrong himself has beaten.
HOWARD BRAGMAN, CRISIS PUBLICIST: He's done amazing things for people with cancer. He's given a lot of people hope in this world and to many millions of Americans and people around the world, Lance Armstrong will always be a hero. And none of these allegations are ever going to change that.
WIAN: Armstrong's attorney called USADA's report a one-sided hatchet job, a taxpayer-funded tabloid piece rehashing old disproved unreliable allegations based largely on ax grinders, serial perjurers, coerced testimony, sweetheart deals and threat-induced stories.
(on camera): Back in February, the U.S. attorney here in Los Angeles abruptly closed a two-year criminal fraud investigation into Armstrong's alleged doping program.
We asked the U.S. attorney's office if these newly released documents could reopen that criminal investigation. A spokesman declined to comment. Casey Wian, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right, Casey. And a little less than 11 hours, the vice presidential candidates will have their first and only debate. Next we're going to hear from Representative Diane Black about what Paul Ryan has in store for Joe Biden.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Check your top stories now. Beefing up security for U.S. officials in Libya was necessary but hard to do. A former State Department security officer told a House panel that.
State Department officials admitted there's no fail safe way to protect diplomats overseas but they also described reeds of red tape that block their way to key protection resources. The testimony was part of hearings on Capitol Hill into the September 11th attack in Benghazi that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.
Lawyers for the man accused of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others at Fort Hood, Texas are back in court today. They're appealing a ruling that Major Nidal Hasan must shave his beard for his military trial. Army rules bar soldiers from wearing facial hair while in uniform. But Hasan says his Muslim faith requires him to keep the beard.
The Supreme Court appears divided on a key affirmative action case. A Texas woman is suing the University of Texas claiming it rejected her application because she is white. In oral arguments Chief Justice John Roberts repeatedly pressed UT's lawyers on how the school decides if its student body is diverse enough. Roberts is a member of the court's conservative majority.
UT president said race is one of many factors the school uses in admissions. He also said its policy is aligned with the Supreme Court's 2003 affirmative action ruling. A decision in the Texas case is expected next year. It is a showdown in Danville. Vice President Joe Biden meets his challenger, Republican Paul Ryan tonight for the first and only VP debate of the campaign season. And ahead of this matchup we have some new polling data out that's looking pretty good for Paul Ryan.
A Pew Research Poll shows Paul Ryan ahead in favorability and Vice President Joe Biden behind with a 51 percent un-favorability rating, an unfavorable rating.
Last night President Obama spoke to ABC's Diane Sawyer and he had this to say about the debate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: I think Joe just needs to be Joe. Congressman Ryan is a -- is a -- a smart and effective speaker, but his ideas are the wrong ones and Joe understands that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The President is not downplaying expectations like everyone else seems to be doing. Last hour we talked with the co-chair of the Obama campaign to get their take. Now we're bringing in Republican Representative from Tennessee, Diane Black. She joins me now from Danville, Kentucky. Good morning to you.
REP. DIANE BLACK, (R) TENNESSEE: Good morning, Don. It's great to be with you this morning.
LEMON: Great to be with you and great to have you here as well. So the President thinks Joe Biden has nothing to worry about. Is he right?
BLACK: Well, I think that Paul Ryan is going to shine tonight. I've known Paul Ryan now for the last two years, working with him on budget and ways and means, and he is just a really smart guy. He's articulate and I think he's going to shine tonight.
LEMON: Yes. And you know, as you said, budget issues -- he's very good with numbers. That's what folks in Washington say. This one is about foreign policy. Do you think he's up to the challenge with Joe Biden on foreign policy? After all, Joe Biden has been, you know, doing this forever.
BLACK: You know, I don't have any doubts at all. I'm 100 percent confident that Paul has studied the issue. He obviously has been in Congress for many years and knows much about foreign relations. It's not one that normally national security, it's not one that you normally hear him talk about, but Paul is really a smart man and he is going to be on his game with all of the issues tonight.
LEMON: OK. So, you know, this new poll shows that Ryan is up -- the one that I showed you. President Obama was up before his debate last week too, so -- what do you make of that?
BLACK: Well, I think it's yet to be seen tonight, but as I continue to say, Paul Ryan having worked with him on Budget, and Ways and Means, and been in Budget where I've seen him take on people like Geithner and Bernanke, he always does really well. He handles himself really well.
LEMON: Yes.
BLACK: And I don't think there's going to be any exception to that tonight.
LEMON: Hey listen, but there has been criticism that he can get shaken easily. I want you to listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN: There's been a traditional Democrat and Republican consensus lowering tax rates by broadening the tax base works and you can --
CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS HOST: But I have to -- you haven't given me the math.
RYAN: No but you -- well, I don't have the time -- it would take me too long to go through all of the math.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK. And then that went on, that back and forth went on and this happened a couple of times. You know, listen, Joe Biden has a very sharp tongue and a very quick wit. So do you think there's a chance here, obviously there is a chance that he can get -- get shaken. And I think I know what your answer is.
BLACK: Well, you know, when you're in front of the camera and you're in front of a camera that's going to be going out to millions of people listening, obviously, there may be some times where you just don't come off quite as good as you do if you were in a committee meeting. But listen, Paul Ryan is -- he is -- he's a sharp guy and I know that he has looked at all of these issues and he'll be ready for tonight. I have 100 percent confidence in that.
LEMON: Recently Ryan has not been consistent on his stance on abortion, basically flip-flopping yesterday on abortion. He's moving to the middle, it seems becoming more moderate late in the game. Paul Ryan is known for being very conservative.
Is this going to be a problem for him in the debate, if someone brings up that particular issue? Or if Joe Biden brings it up and -- and says, well, your -- your side is flip-flopping here.
BLACK: Well, I think that Paul Ryan has made it known very clearly about where he stands on the issue of life. And I think that Paul will speak to how he has always spoken about life being precious, both born and unborn. And he will, if questioned, I'm sure handle the situation as far as his differences, or maybe a little bit of a difference on how he and -- and Mitt Romney look at the situation, and so I -- I believe that Paul will handle this just really well, as he has every other topic. LEMON: But you know Miss Black recently he -- the way he has answered that question is that, that is decided by the top of the ticket. I'm not the top of the ticket, and basically he doesn't really answer the question when it comes to abortion.
BLACK: Well, I think that Paul has handled that now maybe in some of the interviews that you can cite. You may cite that, but I have seen him on other interviews talking how he personally stands and how maybe there is a minor difference -- a very, very minor difference between he and Mitt Romney.
LEMON: Diane Black, thank you very much. I appreciate you joining us this morning. You have a great day. OK?
BLACK: You do the same. Thank you so much.
LEMON: All right.
Make sure you catch CNN's coverage of tonight's vice presidential debate beginning at 7:00 Eastern.
A half ton of fresh supplies now parked at the International Space Station and it was delivered by the first-ever commercial cargo ship. We're going to talk with the station's Commander Suni Williams. Live.
Are these live pictures right there? They are. That's her getting ready. Look at the live pictures. Amazing that we can do this as she passes -- as she passes over Europe and Asia. That's going to happen next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: I'm so excited right now. You have to watch this. Look at that behind me. That space. We're going to go live to space right now. There are some very happy crew members in the International Space Station this morning. Yesterday they successfully captured the first commercial cargo ship to deliver supplies to the station onboard the SpaceX's Dragon Spacecraft. 1,000 pounds of supplies, clothing, science experiments and much more.
Space station Commander, Suni Williams, she helped to slay the Dragon and she joins us now live from the International Space Station. Suni, it is an honor to talk to you. It's really a special treat. Also, I under -- I understand some ice cream arrived for you guys as well?
SUNI WILLIAMS, 33 COMMANDER, INTERNATIONAL SPACE EXPEDITION: Yes. We had a special treat yesterday, not only did we get the "Dragon" but we also got a whole bunch of ice cream so dessert's ready for us.
LEMON: Listen, I've got to ask you, when I see you there, look at that. That's pretty cool. When I see you there, did you ever imagine in a million years when you were a child and even growing up that you would be doing what you're doing now in space at the International Space Station?
WILLIAMS: No. You know, it never crossed my mind that I would ever be an astronaut. I had never met an astronaut, never knew an astronaut, but you know after being a professional pilot and test pilot I finally met some people who were astronauts and understood, hey you know or thought to myself, hey, maybe I could do that because it looks like it's a whole lot of fun.
LEMON: Yes it does look like a whole lot of fun. You know, the -- I keep looking over. Because there's a bigger monitor here and I'm wanting to look at you.
You know the "Dragon" spacecraft marks the beginning of really new evolution for space flight. Private companies now taking over the work that -- that governments did before. What do you make of that? Is that helpful to -- to the program?
WILLIAMS: Absolutely. You know, a little competition is really good, because it makes people a little bit better at what they're doing. And now that we have commercial spacecraft coming up here to do the resupply, NASA can actually concentrate on other stuff going beyond lower the orbit, making a big rocket to potentially get us back to the moon, on to Mars, more into exploration.
And so, yes, commercial companies coming up to the International Space Station I think is a great idea.
LEMON: And we talked to you, you said never in a million years would you imagine you would be doing this. You wanted to be a veterinarian. Only a handful of people can say they have -- they have been the commander of a space station. You're a woman. That is definitely an accomplishment.
What is -- what is that like to you? I mean is there a mentor or a hero -- a mentor or a hero that you have that you aspire to be like? What is that like for you?
WILLIAMS: Well you know, it's a little bit humbling, because I don't really think of that stuff too much in that context. I think I just think of it as doing my job and there's definitely people ahead of us who have paved the way, of course. The late Sally Ride, Peggy Whitson, the chief of our office was also space station commander.
So really great people out there who have, you know, been there, done that, and made it look easy, and so made the -- opened the doors for all the rest of us to just jump in there and say, you know, I can do that, too. So you know, I think it's more of, you just do your best that you can do. And hopefully you'll become a role model for somebody else who says, you know, oh, I'm like that person. I understand that person. I could be just like them and do -- do the same things that they're doing.
LEMON: OK. So I understand we only have about 20 seconds left before the satellite goes out. So, listen, people may not know that you still get to vote in the election. So I'm sure you're going to vote. They may not get that. And what's the favorite ice cream flavor? Which one have you been eating?
WILLIAMS: Yes. I voted early. Voted because I'm a military guy, and, of course, vanilla. Good, old-fashioned vanilla is my favorite because then you can add things to it.
LEMON: Suni Williams, thank you. We joked before. I love the hairdo. I said you could be one of my relatives. You have a little afro there in space. Thank you. Take it easy, be safe and we're very proud of you. OK?
A straight Christian conservative comes out to see how it would be to walk in the shoes of a lesbian friend. We're going to talk with the author of "Cross in the Closet".
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LEMON: Today is "National Coming Out Day", and we want to talk to a man who came out but only as an experiment. Because he's actually straight. His name is Tim Kurek. He wrote about his experience in his book. It's called "The Cross in the Closet". He joins me from Seattle.
Thank you so much for joining us. May I call you Tim?
TIMOTHY KUREK, AUTHOR, "THE CROSS IN THE CLOSET": Yes. That's great, Don.
LEMON: So you are a Christian conservative. What motivated you to explore life as a gay man? Why did you do this?
KUREK: I had a friend come out of the closet and she was pretty brutally disowned by her family. And my reaction wasn't much more loving than theirs. So at that point I had this kind of epiphany moment that the only way I could question what I had been taught and question if I had done the right thing was to experience it for myself firsthand. Experience the fear of coming out -- the apprehension.
LEMON: That old saying, "Walk a mile in someone else's shoes, you have no idea until you do it."
KUREK: Absolutely.
LEMON: So she came out and you had a negative reaction to it. Correct?
KUREK: Yes.
LEMON: OK. So then --
KUREK: I write about that in the -- go ahead.
LEMON: No, go ahead. You write about that, what?
KUREK: I wrote about that in the first chapter of "The Cross in the Closet". It was the inciting incident for everything else that followed.
LEMON: So how did you do it? You told people and -- did all of them believe you? KUREK: Well, for the most part, I mean, I had -- I came out to everybody. I did have a pretend boyfriend. My one gay friend agreed to become my faux boyfriend for a year. He became my Yoda -- my teacher. Taught me the nuances of how to act and what not to be offended by, and you know, how flirtation in the gay community is different from straight community.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: What did you learn?
KUREK: He helped me.
LEMON: What did you learn about the struggles or any -- coming out. What did this teach you?
KUREK: I think the biggest thing, especially with it being coming out day, it takes a lot of courage. We think we live in a society that is so accepting and so progressive, but in reality, we really don't. When you face the -- that moment in your life as an LGBT individual and you're coming out of the closet, you're risking everything.
And when that happens -- you know, when that happened to me, when I realized, you know, "Hey, I've got to stand in front of my family. I don't know if I'm going to be rejected or not. I don't know what my friends are going to say, what my church is going to say." It was a real eye-opening experience for me.
LEMON: What does this -- what did this teach you about your faith? More importantly, did this teach you anything about -- because straight people will say, why do gay people feel the need to come out or they have to declare their sexuality? Did you -- what do you say about that?
KUREK: I would say that straight people need to put themselves in the shoes of the people that they are making these assumptions about. Understand that it's all really about being honest with yourself and honest with the people around you, you know, and being free. And I -- definitely now applaud all of those people, especially today, that are going to be making that step and being honest about who they are.
LEMON: Tim Kurek, a straight man who came out as gay and wrote a book about it. You did it for a year. Thank you very much. We appreciate it.
KUREK: Yes sir. Thank you, Don.
LEMON: All right.
Joe Biden has ridden Amtrak from his home in Delaware to Washington almost 8,000 times. Paul Ryan wants to cut funding for Amtrak. Up next, how trains can figure into tonight's VP debate.
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LEMON: Amtrak ridership at an all-time high. 30 million people rode the rails last year including Vice President Joe Biden who for decades has used it to get from Washington to his home in Delaware. But Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan say they'd cut spending for it.
Sandra Endo takes a closer look now.
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BIG BIRD, "SESAME STREET": I love to move to the music, love to tap out a beat --
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Big Bird is getting all the attention but team Romney has bigger targets that get more federal money.
ROMNEY: We subsidize thing likes Amtrak. We're going to have to stop doing that.
ENDO: Amtrak gets roughly $1.4 billion a year in federal subsidies. Three times more than PBS. This issue is putting vice presidential candidates Paul Ryan and Joe Biden on different tracks when it comes to funding for the rails.
BIDEN: I'm the biggest railroad guy you've ever known.
ENDO: Biden made more than 7,900 round trips from Wilmington, Delaware to Washington, D.C. during his time on Capitol Hill. The station in his home state was even renamed after him last year.
And in 2009, the newly elected Democrats rode the rails into Washington, D.C. for their inauguration.
Ryan's budget plan cuts federal subsidies for Amtrak and high-speed rail projects. Republicans favor privatizing the industry instead.
RYAN: The path to prosperity is not through solar shingles and high- speed trains.
ENDO: But funding Amtrak and investing in high-speed rail projects are key priorities for President Obama.
(on camera): Ridership is at an all-time high for Amtrak, more than 30 million passengers rode the rails last year. And the busiest line is the line between Washington, D.C. and New York City; more than three times as many passengers rode that line than those who decided to fly.
OBAMA: We need the fastest, most reliable ways to move people, goods and information -- from high-speed rail to high-speed Internet.
ENDO (voice-over): Federal money for passenger train has been up for debate before and critics say in this economy, it's a ripe target.
(on camera): How forceful will Paul Ryan be against this issue?
LESLIE PAGE, CITIZENS AGAINST GOVERNMENT WASTE: Oh, very -- I think Paul Ryan will be extremely forceful. You're going to have to deal with all of the expenditures that we make, which are the most efficient, which are the least efficient? And Amtrak is among the least efficient and high-speed rail is not even sustainable.
ENDO (voice-over): But advocates say despite the tough talk, Amtrak has always survived.
ROSS CAPON, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RAILROAD PASSENGERS: There are some really basic factors that are driving the love for trains that is going to be difficult for any candidate to ignore.
ENDO: Regardless of which side of the aisle voters are on, expect a debate night collision.
Sandra Endo, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Watch the debate. It starts at 7:00 p.m. here on CNN.
To showbiz now, grab your cowboy hat. The nominees have been announced for the American Country Music Awards. Luke Brian is in the lead with seven nominations. Lady Antebellum and Zac Brown Band right behind with six nominations each. The awards air on December 10th.
I'm Don Lemon. Thank you so much for joining us.
CNN NEWSROOM with Ashleigh Banfield continues right after a quick break.
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