that role he was about to run the supreme court nomination hearings for robert bork, robert bork was an extremely controversial pick that president ronald reagan had just sent up. this was a major event in politics. most of although, back at that time in 1987, joe biden was gaining a reputation as a captivating speaker. and a democratic presidential debate in iowa that july, he wowed the audience with an eloquent and inspiring closing statement, the consensus after that debate seemed to be that joe biden had come out on top, that he was going to head into the fall with the wind at his back. that was joe biden's position as the summer of 1987 came to a close. but then, on september 12th, 1987, nbc news the des moines register newspaper, and a "new york times" reporter named maureen dowd all came out simultaneously with a story that cast that barn burning iowa debate performance in a very different light. >> democratic presidential candidate joseph biden today faces a controversy that his opponents could use in raising questions about his character. three weeks ago at a debate at the i

judiciary committee and he wanted me to file testimony opposing nomination of supreme court justice robert bork because judge bork had been my constitutional law professor in law school. i had known him a very long time. i like him. we have always been friends. i didn't stop liking him when he and hillary ran against each other in 2008. if he runs again i won't stop liking him then. >> donald trump was interviewed and talked about nafta, the trade deal you put into place. he said it is bad for this country and if he were elected he would dismantle it. is he right? >> no. look, trump and i have been friendly for years. george h.w. bush negotiated nafta. we tried to enforce the trade laws. most years when i was president we gained manufacturing jobs. we were growing so much faster than the rest of the world. if i had not signed that bill think what would have happened. no one ever has to go back in time and say what was it like then? if i had walked away from that it would have been devastating to mexico's economy. we would have had probably another million illegal immigrants coming into america,

and my boss, my direct boss, was man named robert bork. you remember him?l, i actually -- he had been my law professor. liked him. he didn't agree on the first, second, in fourth, fifth, eighth and ninth amendments the constitution but we got along very well, and i -- when i was in college, i was an intern, and i was an intern on capitol hill, and my job in college was, i was an intern for robert f. kennedy. i ran his signature machine. those were -- you had to just make sure all of the letters were lined up perfectly so the signature machine worked, and i got so bored, halfway through the summer so bored issue snuck in at night, -- keep this in the room. could be a federal offense itch snuck in at night and i wrote on his stationer to my friends. dear mr. dwarfing. congratulations on having the largest nose in new york state. robert f. kennedy. my friends still have these on their walls, these -- and then one day, out of the senate elevator, robert f. kennedy actually appeared. first time i'd seen him he was surrounds by aides and looked very, very -- just

my boss, my direct boss was robert bork. do you remember him?hter] i actually come had been my law professor that i liked him. we didn't agree on the first, second and fourth, fifth, eighth, ninth amendment to the constitution but we got along very well. when i was in college i was an intern and i was an intern on capitol hill and my job in college was i was an intern for robert f. kennedy. iran his signature machine. you have to just make sure all the letters were like a perfectly so the signature machine worked, and i got so bored halfway through the summer, i was so bored i snuck in, it could be a federal offense. i snuck in at night and i wrote on a stationary to my friends, dear sir. congratulation on having the largest knowers -- the largest nose in new york state. robert f. kennedy. my friends still have these on their walls. and then one day out of the senate elevator, robert f. kennedy actually. first time i'd seen them. he was surrounded by his aides and he looked very, very, it was just such, my heart almost stopped and looked at me a