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Congress abolished the 40-year ban on oil exports this past week, a victory for oil companies and conservatives that few thought conceivable until recently. One thing made it possible: supporters absorbed the lessons of the Keystone XL pipeline, whose doom was sealed when it became a political battleground.

Supporters of lifting the export ban, including oil-state Democrats, cajoled

A defiant Barack Obama dives into what could be a defining period of his presidency this week, after repeatedly enraging Republicans from afar during his Asia tour. Obama faces showdowns with the GOP over immigration, the Keystone XL pipeline and his drive for a nuclear deal with Iran, all of which have huge consequences for his political legacy. Far from being chastened by the Republican

In the three months since Marty Paone Took on the job as President Obama's Chief Liaison to the US Senate, he HAS Helped plot strategy on the Confirmations of top Administration Appointees, a Partisan Showdown over funding the Department of Homeland Security and the President's request for the authorization for use of military force.

What he did not more Pointedly Work on WAS the very

With the furor on the Hill over Washington's favorite pastime -- scandal -- it's easy to forget that lawmakers have some important business to confront. The debt ceiling, you may not have noticed, was hit over the weekend. Then there's the budget, immigration, jobs, the Keystone pipeline and more, all piling up in the inbox. While President Obama vowed Friday he wouldn't let "every fleeting