Today over lunch, instead of eating I worked on the bike, naturally
I went with wet sanding using 2000 grit paper, which surprisingly provided just about the same level of polish that I had with the brass wire wheel, but much more consistent from spot to spot, using a shoeshine-like technique. Followed that with more polishing by hand with Mother's and it is coming along nicely. I was afraid that the 2000 grit would not be agressive enough to do anything useful, but it seems to be fine. I would rather go a little too gentle and spend more time at it, than too aggressive.
The frame is almost where I want it to be, so another hour or two with the 2000 grit and polishing, and hopefully be ready to clear. Probably tomorrow morning if the weather holds out.