Obama Meets with Former Swiftboat Moneyman
T. Boone Pickens, the former oil man turned energy crusader, has been actively promoting his plan to end our reliance on oil. Barack Obama has cited the Republican in his stump speeches to prove his point that we cannot drill our way out of the energy crisis. “Even Texas oil man Boone Pickens – Boone is not a Democrat - who’s calling for major new investments in alternative energy, has said, ‘this is one emergency we can’t drill our way out of,’” Obama said earlier this month in Michigan.
While most Americans have probably not heard the name T. Boone Pickens until recently, the wealthy man with his “Pickens Plan” has a national platform that has gotten him access to both presidential candidates. Friday Pickens met with Senator McCain and met with Senator Obama this morning in Reno.
In 2004, the same T. Boone Pickens helped fund the controversial Swiftboat Veterans for Truth, the group that managed to damage Senator John Kerry’s campaign in 2004, by questioning his service during the Vietnam War. The style of campaigning has been denounced by Democrats - including Barack Obama, who often referred to the tactic during the primary season
While the Democrat and the oil man agree on solving the energy crisis, but Pickens’ past dabbling in politics is likely to rub some Democrats the wrong way. “Senator how does it feel meeting with someone who tore down your democratic colleague in the last election?” a reporter asked (press were allowed in the room for the first few moments of the meeting).
Obama responded, “You know, he has a lot longer track record than that. He has been doing - he is - you know - a legendary entrepreneur and there are a lot of things that I think we have to unify the country around. It is having an intelligent energy policy; everybody knows if we keep on going on the same track that we are going, that we are giving our wealth away. We are funding both sides of the war on terror. We are going to be over the long term putting enormous pressure on ordinary families here in America who just aren’t going to be able to afford you know, skyrocketing gasoline prices and home heating prices, so this is one of those issues that I think should unify the country and that is what we are going to be talking about,” Obama said as the press were escorted out of the room.
Pickens issued a statement following the meeting, saying that his was “a non-partisan campaign and that I will do everything in my power to work together with leaders who are willing to solve our immense energy problems which are ruining our economy and threatening our national security.”
Don’t expect Pickens to take up arms against the Democrat this time around. “It would be inappropriate for me to speak for Senator Obama. I have a real sense, however, that he was very engaged. He understands the issues and is interested and excited by the work we are doing to educate and involve the people of this great nation. As with any leader, he knows that developing real energy policy that will transform America for the better requires change and that change happens not just from the top down, but from the bottom up and that’s what we are doing with the Pickens Plan,” he concluded in his statement.
Tags: energy, obama, swiftboat, t boone pickens
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the problem ive got is i cant beleave a word fox news says since that day you said obama plagarised someone in his speach , you played the speach of both men not even one word obama said matched . you guys are insane and fox has no credibility at all . you guys are helping to loose the election for the gop fools with that kind of thing . the gop is history .
so whats ya problem . the swiftboaters are your gop friends . they helped us get a draft dodger for commanda and chief for the last eaight years . what about that fox?.the republicans take defence so serious they gave us a draft dodger for president oh get ready the adds are comming fox .
were not gonna have a first lady thats a pill popping drug addict like cindy mcain .bernard.
Too funny. Black Separetist, Obama, meets Swift Boat, Pickett. The two would belong together if they could stand to be in the same room for long.
Obama’s response to the reporter’s question, show his integrity as a man.
Obama didn’t try to discount Picken’s past swift boat support against John Kerry or pretend he didn’t hear the question. Obama was straight forward, answered the questioned and focused on the real issue at hand…energy policy and what Picken’s can contribute.
Hey Pernard - CM might have popped some pills but at least she has been proud to be an american all her life, not just as an adult and only when her spouse became a nomination for president.
I LIKE A SWIFT BOAT.
COMES IN HANDY IF I AM TRYING
TO GET AWAY FROM ANGRY
VIET KONG IN A HURRY. I THREW AWAY
MY MEDALS BEFORE I DIDNT THROW AWAY
MY MEDALS.
Comment by bernard
“the republicans take defence so serious they gave us a draft dodger for president oh get ready the adds are comming fox .”
After eight years of Bill Clinton I am amazed that a democrat would bring this subject up….no, wait, I guess that is actually what we should have come to expect from the left.
Oh by the way, a spell checker might help you seem more intelligent…. just maybe..
Let us quit net picken and all get aboard with this plan, but let me say ,this we need to make sure that this plan does not turn out like the oil where some make millions on it and we the poor or middle income are the ones making them rich.
THE OBOMA TEAM IS SO SCARED THE SWIFT BOAT GROUP IS COMING AFTER THEM ….
THEY ARE RUNNING SCARED…… TALKING TO T….. HONEYING UP TO HIM…..
THIS IS A JOKE……
MCCAIN JUST SLIPPED RIGHT IN THE BACK DOOR WITH A GREAT AD…..
OBOMA HAS GONE TO ALL EXPENSE FIGHTING THE SWIFT BOAT AND THE BOOK CAME OUT……. THE TELL ALL AND MOST OF IT IS TRUE…….
THE OBOMA TEAM IS TALKING SO MUCH ABOUT THE BOOK AND 40 PAGES AGAINST THE BOOK…..
CRAZY…. IT IS PUSHING SALES RIGHT OUT THE ROOF……
HOBOMA WAS A TOTal idiot cvompletely of THE PAGE WITH THE DEBATE SAT. NIGHT…….
MCCAIN PROVED HE IS THE ONLY ONE IN THIS RACE …… READY ON DAY ONE TO BE PRES……
This is rich, or should I say Picken’s is rich and will be richer with Obama supporting it.
The bottom line for Pickens is making money for the Mesa group (his company) and his plan to use windpower as the answer to our dependence on oil is to use wind driven power which he just so happens to own and wishes to sell. So, Obama your lack of “experience” is showing once again. Or are you that desperate to come up with a “plan” and Pickens insistence he can make us independent in 10 years? Yep, more snake oil from a master of it..
Bernard:
We had a draft dodger President for eight years before GWB….Bill Clinton.
So, is anyone so stupid as to think that Pickens is not out for the money himself. Geez. News flash, I could care less what Pickens says. He’s just another Al Gore, out to make a buck off your ignorance.
If someone could tell me what’s wrong with an “ALL OF THE ABOVE” approach, then maybe I’d listen; otherwise, I don’t put much stock into this plan. I worked for the federal government for 32 years and retired this year because I finally got tired of having to try and support people in positions that had no work. IT’S A GAME PEOPLE. I played it well as evidenced by the fact that I was able to retire at 55 with a generous retirement (never paid into social security) and numerous high level cash awards (63 cash awards to be exact).
Oh, and nothing was ever “above my pay grade”. That’s a cop out answer for lazy government employees.
Obama is sad.
So much better than a America hating racist
“Comment by bernard
August 17th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
were not gonna have a first lady thats a pill popping drug addict like cindy mcain .bernard.
barack is a very decent mam he mean his country well
This meeting to investigate alternative energy is again naïve and telling, the only thing T. Pickens wants to sell his is trillion dollar program. Here is a quote you might find interesting regarding the mindset of T.Pickens.
Pickens has recently begun buying up subsurface water rights in Texas. CBS News reported in 2006 that Pickens’ company, Mesa Water, bought ground water rights for 200,000 acres (800 km²) in Roberts County, Texas for $75 million, estimating the investment will be worth $1 billion. “‘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.’” [
Goes to show what inexperience and naievete will buy you, another costly “green’ mistake.
Oh, a point you might remember, it is not the cost of putting up windmills, it is getting transmission lines from the windpower sites to the grid that is the problem and how are you going to have the short sighted greenies allow you to put up towers in their sacred lands?
Comment by Jenny J
August 17th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Too funny. Black Separetist, Obama, meets Swift Boat, Pickett. The two would belong together if they could stand to be in the same room for long.
a Black separatist ……where did you get that from?
One small comment, T.Pikens didn’t just dabble in politics, he seriously considered running for president in the 1980’s and was villified by the media as a corporate raider. Now, not a word about his past history and the fact he would have Obama for lunch…
Pickens never does anything unless he can make millions, snake oil for the masses once more and Obama is going for it? experience, experience..nothing like it.
Yes the McBush lovers will continue to vote themselves into poverty and then blame the Liberals. This is why I support Ron Paul. Why should the South tell the North how to live and why should the North tell the South how to live. Disband the Federal Government to nothing and let the states pick up the social issues. We are so different and have different needs. We should stop all of the façade of BS by both parties; they are more the same than different. I will ironically be voting for Obama for the reason I would rather spend my money on America than Foreign Wars.
COMMENT:
NOW THAT PELOSI HAS HER $150,000.00 DOLLARS IN STOCK FROM T.B.PERKENS, GUESS OBAMA WILL JUMP ON THIS FOR SOME POCKET MONEY, PELOSI BOUGHT HERS ON THE 1ST DAY IT WENT ON THE MARKET, PUT THAT IN YOUR POCKET>
Yes he sure did go straight to the point, did you know Pickens and Al Gore and alot of the democrats are heavily invested in green house companies. Al Gore has made millions this year from pushing them. Yes we need them, McCain agrees but he goes further, he says we need to do all of them. Solar and wind depend on weather. Cloudy, windless days no power, then what? Get a grip, it will take longer to get enough solar and wind to generate enough power for all of the U.S.A. than to start getting everything going.
As for oil, oil is in almost everything we use daily, the tires on our cars, the cards we swipe to buy things, the plastics., the candles, the roads, the tar for roofs, the list is never ending. Oil is not just for gas. So look at the silliness of not going after our own while China and Cuba drill about 50 miles off the shore of FL and tell me that makes sence. Look at all the dems who want to get re-elected scambling to say they are now pro drilling. Then hear Nancy Palosi say do just that to get elected.
As for the swiftboat the minister himself said McCain did not hear the question yet the cry babies still insist he did. At least he answered every question completely unlike Obama who skirted a few and one he said was out of his pay scale so he wont say when life begins. Go look up how he voted and you will soon see he does not believe even after birth it begins if it is an unwanted child. Any one got a trash can?
It seems so funny to me that Sen Obama is now supporting what T. Boone wants. Just a few weeks
ago he was supporting what Sen Reid and Congresswoman Pelosi wanted, No Drilling, No Nuclear, etc. Now it is a comprehensive plan. It seems to me if my mind is not playing tricks on me that
Sen McCain stated from the get go of this election that he wanted a comprehensive plan not
just drilling. He wanted Nuclear, Wind, Coal, Oil, etc. What the real question and statement should be here is why is Sen Obama now considering Sen McCain’s energy plan, Gee could it be because it will work and it’s the right way to go?
Poor bernard. Just can’t win. Just put your head back in your alimentary orifice and things will seem normal again.
Being Obama’s running mate would only hurt Biden’s career.