White House Promises to Fight for Dr. Foster

The White House promised a political brawl over its surgeon general nominee Sunday, accusing Republicans of pandering to anti-abortion activists and scolding slow-to-help Democratic lawmakers.

“We will fight for this nomination,” Chief of Staff Leon E. Panetta said.

But the GOP pushed its case against Dr. Henry W. Foster Jr., who has met criticism for performing abortions as an obstetrician-gynecologist and conducting hysterectomies on severely retarded women in the 1960s and 1970s.

Republican lawmakers insisted that the abortions are not the only issue; they blasted the White House for misleading Congress about Foster’s record on abortions and sterilizations.

“I don’t think he will be confirmed,” said Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Tex.). Referring to the folksy television doctor, Gramm added: “I think people are ready for a Dr. Welby, M.D.”

“The White House did not do its homework. This was handled poorly, and it shows incompetence,” said former Vice President Dan Quayle.

The White House and its supporters said Republicans are pawns of abortion opponents who want to make abortions a disqualifier for government appointments.

“The faxes are flying from the radical right on this issue,” said Sen. Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, who also chairs the Democratic National Committee. “It is about abortion.”

Panetta said Foster will be confirmed on his qualifications unless senators cater to “the extreme right, who are basically saying, ‘We want to make illegal a woman’s right to choose.’ ”

The Administration also continued to try to focus on Foster’s record on reducing teen-age pregnancy and the 10,000 babies he delivered. “Why can’t we have baby doctors as surgeon generals?” asked Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala on ABC-TV’s “This Week With David Brinkley,” on which Gramm was also a guest.

Quayle and Panetta appeared on NBC-TV’s “Meet the Press.” Dodd appeared on CBS-TV’s “Face the Nation.”

On another matter, Panetta said the Administration will stand firm behind affirmative action measures now under attack in California and by other conservative Republicans.

“We oppose the efforts to turn the clock back on civil rights,” Panetta said. “On affirmative action, we clearly oppose moving backward. Where you have discrimination you need to have a remedy. That includes affirmative action.”

California is expected to put on the ballot next year a proposal to eliminate all legal preferences based on race or gender for jobs or educational programs.