Inside, the remaining Bush forces kept pressing their case, and the meeting was tied into procedural knots.

The Republican leadership grudgingly agreed to allow the vote only after overhaul proponents tied the Senate in procedural knots for three weeks last fall.

Despite the Republicans' success, Democrats retained enough strength to have the ability to tie the Senate in procedural knots.

Democrats threatened this month to tie the Senate in procedural knots if Republicans refused to relent.

But supporters of the legislation had tied the Senate in procedural knots, stalling consideration of several other bills, until Mr. Lott relented.

Mr. McCain, who had threatened to tie the Senate in procedural knots if he was not assured quick and fair consideration of his bill, declared himself "pleased."

Senate Republicans warned last month that they could tie the Senate in procedural knots if Democrats bottled up President Bush's nominees for the judiciary and various agencies in committees.

When the procedural knot was finally untied, the Republican prosecutors and the defense lawyers began making arguments on dismissal.

Supporters of a bill that would regulate cable television prices advanced their cause today as Senate opponents abandoned hope of tying the measure up in procedural knots and agreed to a vote on Tuesday.

Democrats responded by threatening to do what they did last year and to start tying the Senate in procedural knots to keep campaign finance overhaul alive.