. >> iave decided the best way to advance the values yound i share-- peace on aert, enomic growth at home, and compassionfor all americans is to be a united stes senator and not a candidatfor president the united states. >> holm: kennedy relished his senate role. 1987, he rushed to the amber to denounce the nomination of robert borto the supreme cot, minutes after esident reagan announced it. >>robert bork's america is a landn which women would be foced into back-alley abortions, blacks wld sit at seggated lunch counters, rogue lice could break down citizens' doors in midnht ids, schoolchildren could no be taught about evolion, writers and artists would b censored at the whim o government, and the ors of the federal courts would be shutn the ngers of millions of citizens fowhom the judiciary is often the only prector of the individual ghts that are thheart of our democracy. >> holman: three months ter, bork's nominion failed. but e senator also was known as a csummate dealmaker, able to reach acss party lines to get things done. in 2002, he worked with preside george w. bush to initi