Frist could make a motion to proceed, a cloture motion on the MTP, cloture on the bill and - Bob's your uncle.

(For all the voodoo magic surrounding Senate holds, they can do nothing against a cloture motion.)

The only thing is, would Frist want to upset his Commerce Committee chairman this close to an election by overriding his hold?

Is there a way to get round that little obstacle?

The classic way for slipping a bill through the Senate is to introduce it as a rider (ie, non-germane amendment) to some other bill. So far as I'm aware, that can be effective even if mounted as a freelance operation (ie, without overt leadership support).

In general, the majority leadership can negate such a shenanigan by either pressing a UCA for the bill which excludes non-germane amendments - though that mightn't work if feeling for the rider was too widespread; or pressing a motion for cloture on the host bill (which, if passed, automatically bars non-germane amendments); or having the parasite bill stripped out in conference.

But, in this case, where the majority leadership is in favor of the parasite bill, sheer inaction would smooth the way for it to be tacked onto some other, well-chosen, bill.

Let's say that things are just too frantic, and S 2590 doesn't make it in the 109th: will the Dems pledge to pass it in the 110th if they control it?

Or will they prefer not to antagonize the old Klansman...