FOSTER RUNNING OUT OF TIME

Dr. Henry Foster's chances of becoming the next surgeon generalplummeted when Senate supporters today failed, 57 to 43, to muster the 60 votes needed to block a threatened filibuster and bring his nomination to a vote. The Tennessee physician has the 51 votes he needs for confirmation, but the nomination is foundering under a scenario thatMajority Leader Bob Doleset in motion Tuesday. Dole, taking advantage of a filibuster threat byGOP presidential rival Phil Gramm, scheduled a vote to end debate on Foster after three hours today. "It's brilliant," says TIME's Karen Tumulty. "He's won on both counts: it looks like he was fair in bringing this to a vote, and he's engineered it so there's no chance Foster can succeed." Knowing the doctor would likely fall short, Dole is allowing supporters a scant 24 hours to regroup before a second and final vote Thursday. Overnight, Tumulty reports, Democratic lobbying will target four Republican senators, three of whom must change their minds if the Senate is to reach a decision on Foster: John Warner of Virginia, Fred Thompson of Tennessee, Ted Stevens of Alaska and Mark Hatfield of Oregon. None, she says, is expected to budge.