Political tit-for-tat: House schedules vote on Keystone after Landrieu calls for Senate vote

Call it a high-stakes political poker game.

Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu, facing an uphill fight to hold her seat in a Dec. 6 runoff, on Wednesday called for vote on approving the Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL pipeline project.

Within an hour, Republican leaders in the House announced that lawmakers would vote Thursday on a bill sponsored by her Republican rival, Rep. Bill Cassidy, to build the pipeline.

It remains to be seen whether the Democratic-led Senate will vote. President Barack Obama has delayed a decision on the project that is opposed by environmental groups. Republicans insist that it will create jobs.