The controversy over secret Senate legislative holds following the confession by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) last week rages on. The trailblazing reformer Trent Lott has just found religion. "Secret holds are outrageous…. It's one of the fundamental problems we have in the Senate today. It's abused and misused… It's corrosive." And now today even Stevens has seen the light and lifted his hold on the database bill "now that [Coburn] has ceased blocking several Commerce Committee with his secret holds." But wait, there's more —- Bill Frist can't resist joining the fun: "Now is the time to act on S. 2590. And we will act this September to pass this bill… Update from Senator Frist: As soon as I blogged this, I received word that a Republican Senator has not cleared the bill. Let me be clear, hold or no hold, I will bring this legislation to the floor for a vote in September... I am grateful for the support of the blogosphere and other groups who are passionate about bringing more, appropriate transparency to the federal budget process… Some way, somehow, the Senate will vote this month on the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006." But before we turn blue holding our breath wondering how Dr. Frist will rescue S. 2590 from the clutches of his colleagues, let's ponder this last word from the no-holds-barred beneficiary of the blown-open holds, Coburn himself, who says he has no qualms with secret holds, or any other rules or traditions that reduce the volume of legislation passed by Congress: "I want less. Fewer bills, smaller government… I have no problem with secret holds."