CLINTON STANDS BY HIS MAN

President Clinton today pledged to stand by Henry Foster, his embattled nominee for surgeon general. "I support him," said the president. "I want him to have his hearings. I believe the Senate will support him. We should not back away from this." Prominent Democrats, including Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein of California, accused the pro-life movement of "stalking" and "terrorizing" Foster. His nomination came under increasing fire when, last night on ABC-TV's "Nightline" program, he said he'd performed 39 abortions during his 38-year career, more than three times the number he first cited a week earlier. He added that he had no intention of withdrawing his name, and denounced abortions as acts of failure.TIME Washington correspondent Nina Burleighgives Foster barely a 50-50 chance. "The Clinton Administration never fails to underestimate the ferocity of its opponents," she says.. Still, expect a bloody fight to the finish: "The Administration can't afford to back off on Foster." says Burleigh, "because they've caved in so many times."