FOSTER HAS VOTES, BUT DOLE MAY BLOCK HIM

While Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.Dak.) believes Dr. Henry Foster now has the votes to winconfirmation as Surgeon General, the nomination still faces a few hurdles, most notably whether Majority Leader Bob Dole will allow the nomination out of committee. Dole hasn't tipped his hand, but TIME Washington correspondent Nina Burleigh says it looks like he may follow through on his threat to refuse to call up the nomination for a full Senate vote. On Thursday, Dole defended his right to do so, noting in a letter to Daschle that 161 GOP nominations were blocked from 1987 to 1992. Burleigh says that rules allow for a Senator to block a nomination anonymously, so Dole could do it without taking personal responsibility.