Few things are less democratic in this magnificent democracy than the Senate practice of the secret hold. In what is supposed to be the world's greatest deliberative body, the hold is the informal practice that allows a single senator to anonymously prevent a bill or measure from reaching the floor for consideration.

That's right — it's an informal practice. Look in the Constitution or in the Senate's own rules and precedents, and you won't find any mention of holds. But it's become an obstructive instrument of senatorial power, one that some senators are loathe to give up — one that should come to an end.