( CNN ) -- The thing that is hard to miss in Ted Olson 's Washington office are the quills . They 're in a mug , all 56 of them , each commemorating an appearance before the Supreme Court . In many of those cases , he was the standard bearer for conservatives . And a successful one ; he won 44 times . In fact , one of his most satisfying and famous wins was against Al Gore , the Democrats and super-attorney David Boies in the contested 2000 election . Olson represented George W. Bush . The rest , as they say , is history . Olson won , Boies lost . That is except in the movie `` Recount , '' as they both joked to me . Boies won the docudrama . On Wednesday , the two men won , this time together . They teamed up to argue against Proposition 8 , which bans gay marriage in California . The legal team won in a stunning and clear decision . The plaintiffs , U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker wrote , `` demonstrated by overwhelming evidence that Proposition 8 violates their due process and equal protection rights , '' ruling it unconstitutional . Now , the case will work its way up to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals , and then to the high court . Only Olson and Boies will be on the same side this time . In this case , Olson has been at the center in so many ways . Disdained by many conservatives for arguing for gay marriage , some openly calling his decision as an act of pure ego or even treason . Indeed , conservative legal analyst Ed Whelan told me , `` It really is a betrayal of everything Ted Olson has purported to stand for in his legal career in terms of constitutional principles . '' But if you listen to Olson , his constitutional principles are exactly what this case -- and his decision to take it on -- is all about . `` The Constitution trumps everything , '' he told me . `` The Constitution provides that equal protection of the laws shall be guaranteed to all citizens . '' Never mind that more than 40 states have voted against gay marriage or that a majority of the American public does n't support it . That was the case , he says , with a ban on interracial marriage struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court more than 40 years ago . `` Civil rights battles are won by fighting for civil rights . ... We 're representing real people , who are being deprived of their constitutional rights , and we tell them to wait ? For what ? For how long ? '' It 's interesting , in a way , because opposition to gay marriage increasingly looks like it cuts along a generational divide . One recent study showed that 58 percent of Americans ages 18 to 29 support gay marriage , while only 22 percent of those 65 and older feel the same way . So if the issue will gradually resolve itself , some say , why take it to court now ? `` Our choice is yes we will go to court to fight for you because your constitutional rights are being ignored . ... '' Olson told me . `` Or we could tell [ gay couples ] why do n't you wait for years , why do n't you wait for another generation ? '' Even some pro-gay marriage groups were skeptical at first , worried that Olson and Boies were setting the cause up for failure . Still other legal scholars say that the two super-lawyers are driven by ego and relish that one last shot at arguing an historic case before the court . Both men cringe at that . And what about the charge that the two lawyers figure they can game the high court -- even a conservative one ? Ah , says Olson . `` We 're not taking for granted any votes on the Supreme Court . We have so much respect for the judges that are hearing this case and the justices of the Supreme Court that will hear this case , none of whom have made up their minds . '' Is he sure ? `` Yes , '' he smiles . `` They have not heard the arguments . '' Now they almost certainly will . And Olson will get his 57th quill . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gloria Borger .
Ted Olson is noted conservative advocate before U.S. Supreme Court . He and David Boies opposed each other in the Bush v. Gore case in 2000 election . Gloria says the two took up and won challenge to Prop 8 in California court . Olson , afraid of betraying his principles , said he was fighting for civil rights , Borger notes .