As Congress returns to work this week after a July 4th break, much of the political focus will be on energy legislation as both sides angle for advantage in this election year.

This raises a very legitimate question - can the Congress actually cut a deal on energy issues that will mean anything?

In truth, the two parties have been at odds for over 30 years on energy, dating back to the gas crisis of the 1970's.

For years the big battleground was over higher fuel mileage standards for new cars and trucks.  The auto companies fought that bitterly for years and it wasn't until 2007 that Congress finally approved tougher standards.

Just like drilling in ANWR is almost a sacred environmental violation for many Democrats today, raising mile per gallon standards was a sacred business violation for many Republicans and Democrats living in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, where the Big Three ruled.

Could things have been different?  I was listening in on a hearing a few weeks ago about energy issues, and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) told a whopper of a tale about his efforts to cut a deal on those issues.

"I proposed to Sen. Murkowski (of Alaska) get me ten votes for automobile efficiency and I think I can get you ten votes for Alaska," that being drilling in ANWR in Alaska.

Schumer observed that in those days, ANWR was "less contentious," and he's right about that.

So what happened?

"I talked to some of the environmental groups and some of them - not all - but some of them said, 'I'll hold my nose, but if you could do that or not do that, I'd rather do it,'" said Schumer.

That's what we would refer to as a "grand compromise."  Democrats would have won tougher fuel mileage standards and Republicans could have opened up ANWR in Alaska.

"We do have to come with sort of the grand compromise here," said Schumer, "where Democrats hold their nose and come up with ways to increase supplies."

As for Republicans, Schumer says, they would "have to do far more to increase efficiency" and renewable fuels.

Schumer says it's "probably too late" to do that this year, blaming the intransigence of the Bush Administration on energy issues.

But you never know.

I got a lot of nasty emails earlier this year when I said that I didn't think Congress would do anything on energy with gasoline at $4/gallon.  I think that point has been proven now.

With President Bush out of the country this week, I don't expect any major changes on the energy front immediately.

But as we race to the first week of August and the Congressional recess that will go until after Labor Day and the political conventions, the people to watch are lawmakers in tough races and swing districts.

We'll see if any Democrats and/or Republicans start acting like each other and start looking at ways to Make A Deal.