Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 22, 1995 TAG: 9506220057
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
``This was not a vote about the right of the president to choose a surgeon general. This was really a vote about every American woman's right to choose,'' said Clinton, appearing with Foster in the Rose Garden just after the effort to break a Republican roadblock fell three votes short.
The Tennessee gynecologist-obstetrician has said he performed 39 abortions in four decades.
``Because he cannot pass the political litmus test that has a stranglehold on the other party, they cannot even allow a simple vote,'' Clinton complained.
The 57-43 vote to cut off debate and clear the way for a final confirmation vote was three votes shy of the 60 needed. Supporters have one more chance to prevail - at 2 p.m. today - but their chances appeared slim.
``I'm not through yet and we're going to do our best to win it,'' Clinton said. But Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., a leading Foster booster who usually is more upbeat, conceded, ``It's very tough.''
In three hours of contentious debate, Republicans argued they were not just opposing abortion but thought Foster was not the right candidate for the job - especially after the stormy tenure of former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders.
Sen. Nancy Kassebaum, R-Kan., chairwoman of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee that approved the nomination 9-7, voted with the majority Wednesday. But she still opposes Foster, calling him ``the wrong person to step into this badly damaged office at this time.''
Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., and other supporters said they had singled out five Republicans who might possibly change their votes, but they would not name names. Sen. Mark Hatfield, R-Ore., was singled out, as was Sen. John Warner, R-Va. Warner, however, took to the floor to say his vote would not change after his office received more than 100 calls Wednesday afternoon.
The vote Wednesday was to stop a threatened filibuster by Phil Gramm, R-Texas, who is running for the GOP presidential nomination, as is Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas. Eleven Republicans sided with the Senate's 46 Democrats.
Democrats accused other Republicans of voting for reasons having little to do with the nominee himself.
``Dr. Foster is being crucified on the altar of presidential politics,'' said Sen. James Exon, D-Neb.
Gramm suggested Foster held ``radical views about abortion,'' and said, ``I do not believe those views represent traditional American values. I do not believe they represent the will of the American people.''
Dole said, ``Somewhere out there among America's hundreds and thousands of physicians, there is a man or woman whose past actions and statements would not divide the American people and this chamber.''
He suggested that Clinton himself had been thinking ahead to the elections.
``This nomination was meant to try to drive a wedge between Republicans on the issue of abortion. President Clinton made a calculated political move,'' Dole said.
After the vote, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., called that charge ``ridiculous'' and listed Republicans who had lauded Foster's work, including former President Bush, who named Foster's Nashville program to fight teen pregnancy a ``Point of Light.''
In the final minutes, members of the Congressional Black Caucus walked onto the Senate floor, talking to senators about Foster, who is black. Outside, members of anti-abortion groups such as the Family Research Council wore stickers reading ``No on Foster.''
Many senators - including some supporters - were skeptical of the chances of changing the vote today.
``I think the votes are where they are,'' said Sen. Bill Cohen, R-Maine, one of the Republicans who voted with the Democrats.
Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., who also voted with the Democrats, called Foster ``a splendid man.'' But he said Foster's troubles were many, ``a huge ball of string, getting bigger and bigger.''
Sen. James Jeffords, R-Vt., who supports Foster, said he believed his party would long suffer the consequences of its treatment of Foster.
``They're shooting themselves in the foot again,'' he said. ``This is going to take on the abortion and racist perception with the public, and I think that's unfortunate.''
by CNB