48 HOURS FOR DR. FOSTER

Now thatSenate Majority Leader Bob Dolehas retreated from his threat to prevent the Senate from taking up the nomination of Dr. Henry Foster as Surgeon General, Foster may feel a bit like a managed care patient whose doctors will only give him so much treatment, no matter what. Dole has preauthorized Foster for just two days of debate. The Senate will begin debating the nomination on Wednesday, but Foster needs 60 votes, including those of at least 14 Republicans, to attain a vote of cloture, which would prevent the filibuster thatSen. Phil Gramm (R-Tx.)is planning. Gramm maintains that Foster doesn't have the votes. Dole says that if his fellow Senators cannot vote to end debate and make a decision by Thursday, he will take the nomination off the floor.