Obama Meets With T. Boone Pickens, Avoids Swift Boat Question

RENO, Nev. — Democrat Barack Obama met Sunday with Texas oil baron and longtime conservative activist T. Boone Pickens to discuss strategies for developing alternative energy.

The presidential hopeful praised Pickens as a "legendary entrepreneur" and deflected a question about the billionaire's role in helping to fund a television ad campaign that undermined John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic nominee.

"You know, he's got a longer track record than that," Obama told reporters when asked about Pickens' association with the ads by a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. "One of the things I think we have to unify the country around is having an intelligent energy policy. ... That's what we're going to be talking about."

During the 2004 presidential campaign, Pickens spent $3 million to help bankroll the Swift Boat organization, a group tied to supporters of President Bush that ran television ads questioning Kerry's record as a swift boat commander during the Vietnam War. The ads were believed to have damaged Kerry in several battleground states, contributing to his narrow loss to Bush.

Today, Pickens is bankrolling a much different kind of campaign. A critic of U.S. dependence on oil and a champion of wind power and other alternative energy forms, he has vowed to spend $58 million to promote his "Pickens Plan," which calls for the U.S. to generate 22 percent of its electricity through wind and other sources.

The high cost of energy has emerged as a central campaign issue between Obama and his Republican rival John McCain. Pickens met with McCain in Colorado last week to discuss his plan and requested a similar meeting with Obama. The two men talked privately for about 45 minutes, campaign officials said Sunday.

Comments

[8yearsoffear]

If Mc cain wins we will have another 4 years of the same. An once again the same stupid people that were fooled by Bush will be asking themselves why did they fall for the same bull crap again! Dumb is as Dumb does.

[naschkatze]

We cannot survive another four years period.

[thinkworklivelove]

Good move, Obama! The last time Pickens was ignored, the Republicans won. Ofcourse, Pickens is looking to make money. So what? But who else has stepped up with this kind of money to get the message out about alternative energy? Every American is going to have to fight for democracy this time around. We are taking it for granted. We cannot drill, drill and drill. If we keep heading down this path, we may become a second tier country.

[Idiocracy]

Well said. :)

[FeelinGroovy]

"May become"? I think the US is already on the slippery slope.

[Brillig]

You know what - you all better get up, spend some money on a few solar panels and get rid of your heating and electric bills.

Greatest country in the world my a..! Always waiting for someone ( private sector, Govt) to do it for you - solar energy is the easiest thing to do - like using a computer.

[UnknownSoldier]

don't forget about God

[Destin]

All I'm waiting for is for stores to carry solar panels. It's not like I can drive down to the local Home Depot and walk out with a few solar panels. I'll be happy to install it all myself. All I need is the panels, and that's something I am forced to wait on someone for. ;)

[gappedtoothgodwarrior]

Here you go:

http://www.solarhome.org/solarpanels.html

[barbwiregrrl]

Raising hand----

WHY would we want to get in bed with Pickens? Pickens funded SWift boat veterans....

That is enough of a reason to avoid him. I mean didn't we learn anyting form the REv Rick nonsense?

[CharlesJ]

You get in bed with Pickens because he is willing to shell out billions to get this country off oil that is why. He may have funded swift boat, but he is right on this and we all know it. If Pickens is willing to spend that kind of money on wind and solar energy developement which will create thousands of jobs. R & D in this area will eventually bring down prices enough for the average middle class home owner to beable to afford it. As it stands now, if a average how with a south facing roof line were to have solar pannels installed, they would cut their energy consumption by over 50% and in some of the hotter more sunny areas by as much as 75 to 100%. I know of several homes in central oregon that are receiving payments from the power grid.

[barbwiregrrl]

I understand that...

I am cautious to trust someone who has stab me before. The Switch Boat dudes were liars and I am concerned that this too is a trap...something will blow up in our faces over this.

[Amalek]

I just have a hard time trusting an oil man with a bad track record. Been burned before you know.

[SmootyBooty]

Bull. Pickens is feathering his nest with natural gas leases. He contributed to the treasonous acts by the sbvt and should have been punished. Instead he's being praised as a "visionary".
I'm Not Voting. Screw 'merkins...

[Thinkingclearly]

I wonder if Pickens is offering the way out for McCain so wrap in himself in the "energy savior" flag. And with the mailing list he's collected in the last month, he's got some more juice to do special mailings if he wants to.

Now - as for McCain and his "my friends, we've got to drill here and drill now, we've got to use wind, solar, and tide (really - tide?). Yet when there was a major alternative energy bill that failed - it was by a vote of 59 for - 40 nays - and 1 absent vote. And that would have been.... Senator McCain's vote!

You've really got to wonder - how does any Senator get his job done without email? Do his staff know how to use it? Are these votes put on an electronic calendar? Did they miss putting it on his day-timer (if he uses one?). McCain had the second worst attendance in the Senate - the worst was for a poor one in the hospital.

I think there needs to be a series of ads that go with the theme "Does the talk match the walk?" And then juxtapose his current rants on congress taking a vacation -with his voting record for the past 3 years showing how many absent votes he has - and put the question underneath "Is McCain taking a vacation while he IS at work?" And the list of energy bill votes that he missed.

The "straight talk" doesn't

[MissT]

Might be something along the lines of "Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer".

Plus he's right on this issue and he's got the money to back it up. Also, he is respected in places where O probably is not taken seriously.

[Shannon2008]

Lou Dobbs is talking about the book by the white supremacist, and not a Boone Pickens. Who are the idiots who listen to people like Lou Dobbs and consider them a sr. political analyst. He's a senior piece of .

[CharlesJ]

Does any one really listen to Lou Dobbs? The man is the biggest raving I am right you are wrong bigot that exists.

[macintoshsauce]

No. He is an Independent unlike the sheep that are card carrying Republicans or Democrats.

[riverhippie]

Not on topic, but still, I'd like to thank the Huffington Post for letting such diverse opinions post here. I should be working on my syllabus for next semester, but instead, I'm spending the weekend reading all the interesting comments.

Thanks

[SCG2]

Has Pickens made clear what he wants from the public?

[boogygran]

As shown in the little photo on the right side of my computer screen right now, I'd say offhand that he wants more $$$

[SmootyBooty]

Eggs-actly...

[Destin]

Pickens is a dubious guy out to make a fast buck. Obama is courting danger by just being associated with the guy.

Consider that Pickens has been buying up 200,000+ acres of water rights in Texas, and quoting him loosely "If you want water, you have to pay". That's the EXACT same thing he's gonna do with these wind farms. "If you want electricity, you have to pay". Pay, as in, Pickens. He will be your new energy overlord.

"I know what people say — water's a lot like air. Do you charge for air? 'Course not; you shouldn't charge for water," says Pickens. "Well, OK, watch what happens. You won't have any water."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/16/eveningnews/main1901680.shtml

Change water, to electricy, and he'll remind you that if you don't pay, you won't have any electricity. It's a money making ploy. And Pickens is behaving like a snake oil salesman. Pretending he's got the cure, but instead he's enriching himself at everyone's expense, and he'll be the first to cut you off the snake oil, if you don't pay up. ;)

I can't believe Americans are so stupid to fall for this!! But I have to remind myself, these are the people that gave us 8 years of Bush with not 1 investigation of him. ;)

[Ajegunle]

Smart move O. Pickens has a really good plan, check pot his website.

[DesertLight]

Pickens is for Pickens

[Shannon2008]

Boone is for adopting wind energy.

[holyhandgrenaid]

Absolutely true, however, sometimes wealthy corporatists come up with good ideas that are both beneficial for themselves and the greater good 9be it people or environment). Pickens has this plan to make money, as he sees this as the way the wind is blowing, he is moving to make money from changes in the energy industry. His motives may not be pure, but the outcome for the world is promising. give some credit to the man, he is thinking further forward than anyone else in the industry

[AnotherIADem]

True, very true. Only this time, his interests are actually much the same as the best interests of our country. Plus, this issue-based campaign forced him to at least pretend to be bipartisan, and to no open his wallet to the right-wing fringies.

[barbwiregrrl]

Pickens Funded Swift boat veterans. We don't need him.

[boogygran]

"check pot" his website?

[booksnmore4you]

Renewable Enrgy must be a nationalized industry aimed to provide inexpensive energy to the masses and all profits used to invest mightily in our people. There is no reason to create more Texas billionaires. Pickens should be told thank you but you are not at all going to be at the top of the heap of this.

[Chbronze]

Why not nationalize the oil companies and the coal companies too, they make a profit. While we are at it we could take the electric companies, and gas compamies, and maybe even the telephone companies. Wait hasn't someone tried that already.

[Viper]

The Militray is nationalized and how does that work out?

Regards

[Shannon2008]

Funny . . . which candidate are you supporting? Nader? I don't know of any mainstream candidate that is advocating what you're talking about. You must be a part of the fringe element in our society.

I think Ron Paul is your guy. You should be his book. Then, you will only have made one Texan a billionare.

[Viper]

Ron Paul does not believe in Governeent and certainly does not support Government ownership or even government regulation.

But your right , this guy is the type of guy who gives repugs elections.. by being so far left he is socialist...

The oil is owned by the State in Russia and Saudia Arabia and etc.. and their middleclasses dont exist.

Laisez faire does not work and neither does socilaism or communism.. Regulated capitalism does work.


Regards...

[loax]

Foreffecti­vegovernme­nt - you sound paranoid.Please provide proof postitve. Using wickipedia is not fact, but rather anyone can enter anything they want. This is one of the most laughable statements by a blogger sice the beginning of the campaign!

[foreffectivegovernment]

loax: Here is proof positive. Hope it's not overload for you. The fact that you saw the word wikipedia and automatically discounted the other links tells me you are truly an Obamabot and will not even read anthing that might expose him for the fake he really is.
I keep forgetting that Onamabots only use u-tube clips as the gospel truth.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/600k-aimed-at-clinton-2007-09-28.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/29/nyregion/29rudy.html?_r=2&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
http://townhall.com/columnists/RichardHCollins/2008/07/28/next_jfk_or_no_way?page=full&comments=true
http://www.mediatransparency.org/story.php?storyID=58
Explain why my post that contains links is more laughable than than posts that say Obama is God and can do no wrong.

[SmootyBooty]

Please feel free to vote for Ron Paul...
snicker...

[tea in the harbor]

Maybe Barack could learn from the swiftboaters. He is running against a man who claims to be a war hero, which would infer some success in warfare.

While little Johnny's time as a POW certainly required courage and bravery, I've yet to see a story about him successfully engaging the enemy during that conflict. I know he nearly washed out of the Naval Academy in spite of his father being an Admiral, I've heard that three planes entrusted to him went down, I know he helped put out a fire on a Carrier, but I haven't heard about a successful engagement with the enemy, why is that?

[foreffectivegovernment]

Senator Barack Obama and T. Boone Pickens weren't talking about renewable energy. Obama was thanking T. Boone for helping him win the nomination. After Pickens finished with Kerry, he and his cronies turned to destroying Hillary Clinton's chances to become President.
Obama and his supporters, under the direction of David Axelrod, jumped on Pickens bandwagon. Would have worked too, if 18 Million Democrats hadn't seen through the plot and stopped it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Her_Now
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/01/magazine/01axelrod.t.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print
http://www.thecityedition.com/Pages/Archive/Winter08/EmailAppeal.html?q=node/358
Of course, the Obamabots were a party to the plot so they deny it happened.

[Shannon2008]

The PAC you cited was created to stop Hilary Clinton's bid to become a US Senator and not her 2008 Presidential bid.

Learn how to use google properly.

[jOke]

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOW WHAT A FOOL... HAHAHAHAH....

[sanywhere]

lol

[SheriChardonnay]

get over it. HRC lost/....fair and square...hell she tried to cheat O but there ARE forces bigger than clinton and bush!

[booksnmore4you]

Since you seem to know what they were talking about, perhaps you might post the link to the audio you have of their private conversation.

[crickets]

[tweedy54]

Great comment!!!

[Ajegunle]

Get a life you sacrilegious nincompoop.

[boogygran]

Haha, great reply

[BobinKS]

Read the memos is the Atlantic. HRC ran a terrible campaign and lost.

[theone718]

Pickens plan totally mirrors Obama's. Especially with the fact that T. Boone makes no mention of nuclear power (although Obama does say that is an option) and especially because he said "this is a problem we can't drill our way out of".

[Shannon2008]

I posted this on another thread, but I think it's relevant here:

One aspect of McCain's energy plan that should fall flat on it's face is the idea that we should build 100 new nuclear power plants, 45 of which he wants built by 2030. It's just idiotic. Mr. McDrillHere McDrillNow should understand that more energy can be harvested by advancing nuclear technology at the existing 100 nuclear power plants. Why dot the face of the United States with 100 more inefficient and potentially unsafe 1970's style light water reactors when countries like France are trying to develop a nuclear fission plant?

McMore is not McBetter when it comes to nuclear.

Obama's plan is more in line with reality and the future. Bring new technology to the existing plants and make them safer. The World Nuclear Association said this of nuclear production in the United States:

"A significant achievement of the US nuclear power industry over the last twenty years has been the increase in operating efficiency with improved maintenance. This has resulted in greatly increased capacity factor (output proportion of their nominal full-power capacity)."

More capacity . . . More efficiency . . . Safer . . . More Power . . . Less Plants . . .

Obama is the intelligent choice.

[Viper]

They will not be building 1970s plants. Where did you get that info from? Tthere are five plans that over the last few years have been standardized on.. for use here.. one is from France by the way.. another is from GE... and etc...

This will shorter the apporval process to LT 3 years.

Regards

[holyhandgrenaid]

I don't believe we can improve the efficiency of the existing plants though. From a fairly young age, i was taught that Nuclear plants have a life expectancy of about 30 years before they become 'too hot'. Now, I believe (but if i am wrong, i encourage you to correct me here) that the last 'new' Nuclear plant to come online was Seabrook in New Hampshire in 1981. This means that all of our plants are near, at, or above 'retirement age'. This is both a good and bad thing, as we are getting more life out of them than expected, but that they in all likelihood will not be able to remain open long enough to increase their efficiency.

Another interesting point to make here is that we will have massive electricity shortages when the existing plants start shutting down.

Its a complex problem we have with regards to nuclear power, and i frankly don't have any answers, as answers to one problem, directly conflict with others.

[wanj]

Keep your friends close, keep your enemies even closer! Good to see Obama sat down w/ Pickens. At least this billionnare is not out there funding a 527! Obama should keep up the McCain smackdowns! See link...

http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/08/17/obama-accuses-mccain-of-same-old-republican-campaign-tactics/

[jackt51]

Amen!