With the Congress back in town after a two week Easter break, it isn't taking long for leaders of both parties to start throwing their weight around on issues that will certainly play a big role in this year's elections.

Today, we have at least two flashpoints that have the ability to make the news, as GOP leaders meet with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, plus a hearing on high oil and gasoline prices before a special U.S. House panel.

That hearing on its own should produce some interesting back-and-forth for the evening news, as Democrats seem likely to verbally show up the assembled executives of five major oil companies.

There's nothing like beating on Big Oil Execs while your constituents are paying more and more at the gas pump every day.  Classic election year entertainment for lawmakers, eh?

Meanwhile, GOP leaders in the House meet with Bernanke, who is being treated these days much like Alan Greenspan was during times of economic uncertainty, sort of an Economic Sage Who (Hopefully) Can Do No Wrong.

For the Republicans, that certainly means getting Bernanke to publicly knock the idea of tax increases and higher spending by Democrats in charge of the Congress.

Democrats beat on Big Oil.  Republicans warn of Higher Taxes.

Sounds like an Election Daily Double today.

What makes Election 2008 such a different animal is that both parties will have a sitting U.S. Senator as a nominee, McCain versus either Obama or Clinton.

That means major policy votes in the Congress will be magnified even more, as both candidates will have to return at times to cast votes on politically symbolic issues.

Did you vote to raise taxes?  Did you vote to cut funding for the Little Sisters of the Poor?  You get the picture.

With Democrats in charge in the House, they will make sure the votes over there are skewed more in their party's favor.

Over in the Senate, anything can happen, mainly because the rules of the Senate allow you to force votes on almost any subject at any time.  Whether that results in gridlock is to be seen in coming months.

You can already tell what we're up against today in the Senate, as Democrats try to force action on housing legislation.

"At 2:30pm, the Senate will proceed to a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 3221, which would be the legislative vehicle to be used for the Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008."

That's a little bigger than what the Senate did Monday, when Senators approved a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of "World Water Day." (S.Res 478.)

I yield back the balance of my time.