Senators left town Friday for a month-long recess without a deal on energy legislation to combat rising gas prices, yet both parties expect to claim victory with voters.

Democrats and Republicans both say they are insulated from a voter backlash because they have improved the public’s education and can blame the other party for inaction.

While neither side can claim a legislative victory, both say their ideas are gaining traction with voters as they enter the fall campaign season.

“If there is any silver lining — and there’s always a silver lining — it’s that these high prices are forcing Congress to do some things that it hasn’t really wanted to do or that have been difficult,” said Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), who supports expanding offshore drilling. “It’s forcing Democrats to think about how we can produce more oil and gas, and it’s forcing Republicans to consider more conservation measures.

“These high prices have been painful. No one likes them. But it could actually help in the long run. It’s causing the pressure necessary to break out of our traditional positions that have actually led us to this point.”

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, one of many Republicans who repeatedly pressed Democrats to allow more drilling, said the GOP proposal to ease oil exploration restrictions is attracting far more attention this year than last because higher gas prices have a more direct impact on voters each day than do most other congressional issues.

“When the public’s attention is focused on an issue because it’s affecting their pocketbook, the pressure is really there from the ground on up,” she said. “It helps motivate us, most certainly.”

The impasse has also helped both sides in less obvious ways. Democrats, for example, claim success in pushing for more conservation and sharp emissions reductions from automobiles, both of which have occurred as Americans drive far less with gas hovering at about $4 a gallon.

The Department of Transportation reported this week that Americans drove nearly 10 billion fewer miles this past May compared to May 2007, the third-largest monthly drop in 66 years. The other two have occurred since December 2007.

Democrats have also won concessions from Republicans for greater fuel efficiency and more investment in plug-in electric cars and trucks.

Republicans, in turn, came remarkably close this month to forcing votes on opening the Outer Continental Shelf to expanded drilling. In the House, they also banded together to block “use it or lose it” legislation that Democrats had intended to deploy to force oil companies to drill on land they are already leasing.

In the end, they even won a concession from Democrats to expedite leases on offshore drilling — an almost unheard-of development a year ago, and a concession that Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) suggested Republicans won’t forget when senators return in September.

“Our goal is to remain on the subject of energy, and our goal is to still have it as the pending bill when we return in September,” he said. “We’ll stay on the subject.”

Sen. John Thune (S.D.) was one of several GOP senators who said that could also spell success at the polls in November.

“Drilling is resonating with people,” Thune said. “The Democrats seem to think they have some political high ground here, because they’re blocking any discussion of other solutions. I think that’s going to splash back on them. The American people have figured out you’ve had to have production as a component of this.”

But Democrats have only 51 votes in a chamber that requires 60 votes to move controversial legislation along. They are betting that voters will take note of how Republicans banded together to block all business to expand oil drilling at a time when oil companies are reporting record profits.

“Voters can add to 51 and they know that you have to have 60 votes in the Senate,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). “Republicans have used the filibuster as the order of the day.”