"One vote away"

A rhetorical remark or a political point? Missouri Senators are responding to a phrase President Clinton used often in his Columbia speech…that he was “one vote away” from passing HMO legislation on Capitol Hill. It was a point he made four times, with Senate Democratic candidate Mel Carnahan sitting at his side. Senator Kit Bond claims Clinton came to Columbia solely to boost Carnahan’s challenge to Senator Ashcroft’s re-election.