FAREWELL, DR. FOSTER

Henry Foster lost his second and finalchance to become surgeon generalin a 57-43 Senate vote, identical to Wednesday's, that narrowly denied the Tennessee physician the 60 votes he needed to beat a threatened GOP filibuster. SinceSenate Majority Leader Bob Dolehad set a deadline of today to decide the issue, that's the end of the nomination. Democrats and Republicans alike seized on the outcome in a war of words on abortion. "By choosing to side with extremists who would do anything to block a woman's right to choose," said President Clinton, Republican opponents "have done a disservice to a good man, done a disservice to the nominating process, and sent a chilling message to the rest of the country." Dole called Foster "the wrong person for this job." The doctor himself may have put it best: "I was a neophyte and a novice. I was naive."