Except that Lott's job is done. He chairs the rules committee, and this rule change has now passed in his committee, thus moving it to Frist, who can bring it up for a vote on the Senate floor at his convenience.
The strategic error that the Democrats made was to filibuster one or more (in this case at least two) circuit court appointments.
Now the Republicans have actually had time to gather themselves and figure out what to do. In addition, public opinion is on the side of Republicans rather than the obstructionists.
But had the Democrats waited until a Supreme Court vacancy or two had appeared before they filibustered, the press would have HAMMERED the 'pubbies for making a rule change at that time to "go around" the filibuster.
Timing matters, and the Democrats blew it. They could have gotten away with demonizing Republicans if this was a rule change for a Supreme Court appointment, but this is clearly a rule change for a much lower federal judge appointment, and the public isn't going to get bent out of shape for the lower courts anymore than the public cares about ball games before the playoffs.
But the rub for Democrats is that this rule change will *also* affect the Supreme Court appointments. It will now be possible to nominate an uber-conservative to the SCOTUS because Democrats won't be able to filibuster her (or him, naturally).
Frist just needs to make the schedule for the floor vote for this rule change *prior* to the public seeing a SCOTUS vacancy, lest the Democrats are given the chance to phrase this change as being about that vacancy rather than about Owen, Estrada, and Pryor.