1.   For President Clinton, the confirmation provides an opportunity to erase a history of abandoning nominees when they encountered rough waters during the confirmation process.

2.   In the White House, aides said Clinton is especially sensitive to abandoning prospective nominees because of the criticism leveled at him in his first term.

3.   President Clinton, criticized for abandoning previous nominees in the face of controversy, vowed Thursday to push for Senate confirmation of his embattled choice for surgeon general.

4.   President Clinton, standing beside his embattled nominee, found an opportunity to demonstrate that, win or lose, this time he is not abandoning his nominee.