Pickens compliments Obama energy plan

Posted: Monday, August 04, 2008 6:06 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC's Mark Hudspeth and Domenico Montanaro
After Obama mentioned T. Boone Pickens several times in his energy speech today, Pickens -- not kidding -- had praise for the presumptive Democratic nominee.

“I’m strongly encouraged by Senator Obama’s speech on America’s energy future. Foreign oil is killing our economy and putting our nation at risk," wrote Pickens, a billionaire oil man, who proposes ending America's dependence on oil by promoting renewable enegies like wind power and natural gas. Pickens was one of the principal financiers of the Swift Boat ads against John Kerry. “When I started this campaign my goal was to make this the biggest issue in the coming election and the top priority to be addressed in the first hundred days of the next administration. This issue is clearly moving up in the priority of political debate; Senator Obama’s statement is an indication that is what is indeed happening. I will continue to push this as a priority for the rest of the year.”

Earlier, in Obama's speech, the Illinois senator said, “We can’t simply pretend, as Sen, McCain does, that we can drill our way out of this problem,” Obama said. “T. Boone Pickens is right. We need a much bolder and much bigger set of solutions.”

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Comments

I just called the Obama campaign and told them to go on offense.

So should you:

http://strategy08.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/i-just-called-the-obama-campaign-and-so-should-you/

Dan, New York, NY (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:12 PM)

Wow! Nice birthday present for Barack!

Seriously, though...maybe this is an indication of Obama's ability to work with leaders of all backgrounds and to recognize what solutions work and which ones are just gimmicks. Pickens knows brilliance when he sees it!

Go Obama!!!

Beth, Denton, TX (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:16 PM)

How's McCain going to spin this?

rmh (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:17 PM)

Last week, in a 30 min interview, T Boone Pickens said we HAVE to drill for every bit of oil we have now or gas will be $8-10 in less than 4 yrs. Yes, he advocates we can't drill out of it, but he NEVER said NOT to drill what we can. He didn't praise Obama's plan. He said his goal was to make energy the key in the election and that has been accomplished. He said he was "encouraged" by take of alternatives. Come on FIRST READ, your headline is somewhat misleading.

curious (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:18 PM)

Politics sure make strange bedfellows.

Picken's plan has some interesting pieces to it. I encourage you to review it. I especially like the idea of converting truck fleets(which use about 35% of our fuel) to natural gas. The terminals could be the depots.

John Cobb, CA (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:19 PM)

Pickens has realized that Obama will win no matter how much money he throws at a similar "swiftboat campaign". It is now in his best interests to work with the next president of USA. In my opinion but I am a nobody of course.

farah (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:20 PM)

What pathetic attack is the McCain camp now going to come out with now?! Does McCain have any plans or ideas? I've yet to hear any concrete ideas from McCain. Why doesn't the MSM ever ask McCain what his plans are?

PS. Can't stand Joe Scarborough and Pat Buchanon. Still will not watch MSNCB till they clean their house of such racist riff raff!

http://www.artwearactivist.com

Obama Voter (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:22 PM)

Politics makes strange bedfellows, but I'd rather have him with us than against us.

CA Girl, Manhattan Beach, CA (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:22 PM)

HATE the new format for the Politics page. It is too spread out and takes forever to open. Please go back!

James (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:24 PM)

Hurrah! for Pickens/Obama.

John Mehan, San Francisco, CA (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:25 PM)

So much for the dark revolution the repubs are grandstanding.........

Obama 2008

Achilles, Las Vegas, NV (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:25 PM)

Senator McCain proposes offshore drilling in addition to developing alternatives to oil.
obama=dishonesty

Rhj (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:28 PM)

Old man Swiftboat praising Obama? Are we in the Twilight Zone? Wonder if he can use that endorsement in a campaign ad...

http://www.political-buzz.com/

matt (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:28 PM)

While McCain is judging the biker wet tee shirt contest in Sturgis. Obama is addressing energy issues. All McCain has is a noun a verb and a negative ad.

Terry, Great Plains (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:29 PM)

Ol T. Boone knows a sucker when he sees one. Just like with AlGore, going Green will be trendy, and profitable for the likes of Pickens and the Gore-ster. Oh, and who pays? You do.

Mean and Green (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:32 PM)

Big Oil is about to steal this election.
Hess Corporation "Office Manager" And Her Husband Both Gave $28,500 To Elect McCain
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/08/hess_corporation_office_manage.php

Is the any doubt that John McCain is in the pocket of Big Oil?
McCain: 29 Guesses. Interesting Take on Oil Drilling by Mc Bush!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkUj9EIINIs

Oil Industry Floods McCain With Cash After Offshore Drilling Reversal
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/26/AR2008072601891.html?nav=rss_politics

banko (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:33 PM)

I think Obama was praising T Boone for thinking about alternative energies. Probably not for buying up all of the water supply in West Texas after his product has contributed to higher temperatures that are drying up the rivers.

I'm sure T Boone (the Swift Boat funder) won't manipulate the energy/industry that he's in control of like other Bush supporters (Ken Lay...Enron, Phil Gramm's wife...Enron, Phil Gramm...UBS Mortgages, T Boone Pickens...oil, Dick Cheney...Haliburton).

http://infogiant.wordpress.com/?s=bush

infogiant, austin, tx (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:33 PM)

What a major Oil player believes Obama has the right ideas when it comes to energy policy?! Can you here the crickets in the McCain camp?

Jim, Mesa, AZ (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:35 PM)

You mean a wealthy oil man agrees with Obama, McCain must be fuming right about now, wonder who will garner his wrath. Better empty the campaign bus till the smoke clears! LOL

Sue F, Idaho Falls, Id (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:41 PM)

I think that Obama and Pikens are on the same page for our future during this energy crisis.They are courageus and unique visionary.This 21st century needs to be a new renaissance and we are so lucky in this critical time in history to have those 2 giants
I hope that we all stand up united with them,.

Franco D`alleva Everett, ma. (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:43 PM)

Wonder why is these rich people like Warren Buffett, Pickens and Schmidt support Obama?

Neil Devadasan, Indianapolis, Indiana (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:43 PM)

Of course he compliments it. What else can you do? Even the financier of those despicable swift boat ads recognizes the true leadership that the next president will provide versus the confused, bumbling disaster MCCain would be.

By the way, I hear McCain's next ad features just a bunch of made-up words that rhyme with 'Barack'...

Change Agent (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:44 PM)

Now THAT'S change we can believe in. Our nation is in a crisis that only the ignorant think we can drill our way out of. Obviously, Mr. Pickens is not an ignorant man and he has made Billions on oil. If he can look at our nation and see our future as NOT being dependent on foreign oil then its time for all of us to get moving in a better direction. Mr. Obama may not be quite right on corn-derived fuels but in the other areas he is spot on. Alternative energy sources can be developed and championed right here. Millions of jobs are just waiting to be realized and if we forge ahead as if our existence depends on it, then we will succeed. Putting a man on the moon was a national effort and ridding ourselves of our oil habit should be the next national endeavor.

Personally, I'd like to see science and industry take advantage of the oil that can be extracted from algae of all things. We can grow it anywhere, extract the oil from it and have a renewable bio-fuel forever.

Benny, SFBayArea, California (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:46 PM)

I am happy to see T. Boone praising Senator Obama.

It speaks volumes to where "The Usual Suspects" stand on John McCain - a man who is unfit to be President of the United States, with so much documentation on his quick temper, mean-spirited lashing out against anyone who doesn't kow-tow to his self-proclaimed "rightness" on a subject.

The country needs a man who is intelligent and willing to listen and compromise wisely to make steps in the right direction - getting this country out of the grip of foreign oil. We need alternative energy and if we'd listened to President Carter and not let that windbag Reagan reverse the huge gains made in the Carter administration towards energy self-sufficiency, we'd be free of the grasp of oil. But nooooo.. the low-information voters believed all that Reagan voodoo about trickle down wealth. Ha! Take a look in your toliet for the only thing that REALLY trickles down!

I'm for T.Boone's plans. We're moving to Missouri this month and have plans to install a wind turbine to generate energy as well as solar panels... Obama has the right approach for this country.

BTW, Happy Birthday, Senator Obama!

D. C (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:50 PM)

So Obama is just an empty suit with no ideas huh? Pikens doesn't seem to think so.

McCain's Plan for gas prices: Offshore drilling

McCain's Plan for energy independence: Offshore drilling

McCain's Plan for the economy: Offshore drilling

McCain's Plan for education: Offshore drilling

McCain's Plan for Health Care: Offshore drilling

McCain's Plan for Social Security: Offshore drilling

McCain's Plan for Everything: Offshore drilling

I thought that oil companies has millions of acres approved for drilling. Why can't they drill there? Oh because is not about supply and demand but about greed.

Offshore drilling, Offshore US (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:50 PM)

Interesting how McCain's campaign has been so quiet about Obama's plan today. Can you say..."Scratching your head?" What's McCain gonna do now, put out an ad on Madonna and A-Rod after Obama laid out a real plan? Stay tuned.

Dennis (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:51 PM)

Pickens (and Obama) are opening a vast market for marketing of wind energy products. The domains (Internet addresses) www.InTheWindEnergy.com, www.BackyardWindTurbine.com and www.InvestingInWindPower.com are available for purchase at those addresses.

bill edwards (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:57 PM)

Thanks for posting this item, First Read.

Now, if only the rest of the media could be bothered to mention this, instead of blabbering about the latest poll.

Peter, San Francisco (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:58 PM)

Obama has lots of great ideas, and would make the best Commander-in-Chief. I am so sick of the McCainiacs dealing in 7th grade-level politics. When you look at the current state of our nation, how could any sane person pick McCain? Like Reagan asked, "Are you better off now than you were 4 years ago?" Heck, no, and that's why we can't have more of Grampy McSame keeping the status quo!

Margaret (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 6:58 PM)

Uh, natural gas is not a renewable energy source.

Jonathan (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 7:02 PM)

In what way is natural gas a renewable energy?

Ray, Houston, TX (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 7:04 PM)

WooHoo! How's THAT Sen McCain?

Donna, Springfield (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 7:09 PM)

Looks like "inexperienced Obama" has just picked up another supporter of his ideas—T. Boone Pickens. It was such a well rounded proposal which was founded on a balance of practical ideas.

This is awesome. Barack Obama keeps batting them out of the ballpark.

He is so intelligent and thoughtful.

The obvious reason why the McShame Campaign has to keep attacking Barack's character and race is because he is so far superior in every way.

And of course David Gregory did not deal with the whole idea package—just on the "flip-flop" portion. But by now we all know that the better Barack does the worse the media portray him!

Andrea, New York City (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 7:16 PM)

Ouch, McBush must really be out of touch for T. Boone to chastize him like that.

Scooter (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 7:22 PM)

Joseph Romm: Obama Delivers a Real Energy Plan for America: Efficiency Now, 10% Renewables by 2012, One Million Plug-ins by 2015.

Read this on the Huffington Post.com. This is very comprehensive.

Andrea, New York City (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 7:27 PM)

This proves yet again that politics makes for strange bedfellows.

Cheryl, San Francisco (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 7:30 PM)

Excellent.

Marihelen, TX (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 7:31 PM)

Is T. Boone related to Slim Pickens?

nuanced (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 7:41 PM)

hopefully Pickens will 527 McCain and give him a taste of his own medicine (negative ads)

got milk? (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 7:43 PM)

I cannot vouch for Pickens, but I can say that this is the American entrepenueral spirit that makes our country great. The auto industy clung to the high price, low MPG SUV's too long. They did not predict or see the winds of change coming and shift with it.

"Those who fail to adapt are doomed to extinction"

This needs to be the thought of our "Oil Companies" is to become "Energy Companies". When the proverbial wells run dry, they need to be ready to make the next step. Coal was a source of portable energy for a long time. It is now limited in what we use it for. Oil very well may be on the same track. Pickens is shifting his sail, we may want to pay attention.

Chris Lockhart, Columbus, Ohio (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 7:44 PM)

good for pickens. he obviously thinks things through and isn`t afraid to say what he feels. this off shore drilling and taking fuel from the strategic reserve belongs in the same sad box as cutting the federal tax on fuel. pickens is saying, get of fossil fuels, especially coal and oil. invest in other things for which the technology is available. he shames all the politicians too afraid to say what they know is true.

tom moriarty, pueblo, co (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 7:47 PM)

Mark or Domenico - what did you mean by the phrase "Pickens -- not kidding -- had praise for the presumptive Democratic nominee"? Was the "not kidding" because Pickens is an oil man, or a Republican, or what? Why would someone think you were kidding? I wasn't surprised at all to hear that Pickens praised Obama's plan. It makes perfect sense to me that he would praise a plan that is very similar to his own, regardless of the candidate who was proposing it. There are still some people who care more about the issues than about the political party -- not kidding!

Linda, Allen, TX (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 7:54 PM)

63% no show McCoo-Coo has the gall to talk about Congress being in recess? Hell, he's personally been on recess for about 18 months

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/04/mccain-ill-come-back-to-s_n_116876.html

ya know (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 7:55 PM)

Wow is this blog run by the Obama campaign? Look back and tell me if you can find a positive on McCain anywhere

cory, tampa florida (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 7:56 PM)

It's amazing how the tables turn and republicans are realizing that democrats were right all along, they're all becoming democrats!

Mike, portland oregon (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 8:04 PM)

Pickens' comment comes after Obama has opened the door to drilling, which Pickens favors domestically, both offshore and in ANWR.

Pickens' basic overall approach is "Do it all and do it all here in the U.S." Both candidates would do well to adopt his program and put all domestic options on the table, including oil and coal.

And then find other campaign issues to nit pick about.

Richard, Washington State (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 8:06 PM)

Finally, a representative of the old guard, mega-wealthy, oil billionaires (the GOP's finacial base) finds his conscience and a streak of sincere patriotism. He also happens to be dead right in his message. We as a nation need bold, drastic action to overcome this very real threat to the survival of the USA and democracy as we know it.

To those who would deride T-Boone because he stands to make a good deal of money from this foray into "alternative" sources of energy, WAKE UP get with the program. The private sector (those like T-Boone) are the best solution to our current crisis. The President and congress have proven themselves incapable of providing anything but the same old tired, partisan, in-fighting and finger pointing. Between the Bush veto pen and the republican fillibuster in the Senate, no good Democratic legislation can become law, often for no other reason that the insanely petty issue of who will get credit for that legislation.

The machine of capitalism is the only current force that is providing a valid, constructive, timely and effective solution to this mess. Trust an American businessman to find a way to make a buck on the problem and hope that buck is earned in solving not exploiting the issue.

Pickens is to be commended and roundly praised, not just for taking action to provide a solution to our energy crisis but also for the millions of dollars he's taking out of his pocket to put his case before the American people and the Presidential campaigns.

My hat is off to you Mr Pickens, godspeed and good luck to you in your efforts.

One Eyed Bob, Roseburg, Oregon (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 8:08 PM)

Ya gotta just love it...

I smell a landslide...

Lyn, KCMO (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 8:08 PM)

"Pickens, a billionaire oil man, who proposes ending America's dependence on oil by promoting renewable enegies like wind power and natural gas".

Natural gas is not a renewable energy source.

Sorry, don't mean to nit-pick.

Richard, Washington State (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 8:08 PM)

I want to point out two critical points about this election:

Is the Republican "noise" machine going to work this time around?

Americans will be asked to answer some critical questions in November. The Republicans remind me of the kid in the mall who continues to scream despite the pleas from their parents. At the end of the day, the parent will take a stand and not tolerate the bad behaivor or gives in and allows the child to get their way. Are we going to tolerate the Republican's behaivor and give in? Negative campaigning will not go away until WE don't tolerate it anymore. I don't want to hear anyone complaining if this type of campaigning is allowed to work.

My second point is this:

Are we going to be tricked into being scared of Barack Obama?

If he didn't have good policies, the Republicans would be going after his policies in a more direct fashion. Also, the media would rip Barack to shreds if his policies didn't stand on the merits. WE know that his policies will require tough choices and shared sacrifies. Are we willing to make these sacrificies? Please don't get me wrong. Americans have every right to question his policy positions. What do the Republicans mean by if he is one of "us"? Barack has earned everything in lifetime. John McCain's grandfather and father were admirals in the Navy. Is anyone with a straight face going to tell me that he didn't have a leg up on his fellow classmates at Annapolis? Hmmm...

Finally, I can understand if individuals disagree with Barack based on his policies stances. If we really look at Barack's policies as a whole, his policies have a little bit for all (Democrats, Independents, and Republicans). IF you don't believe me, you can look as far as his plan for small businesses. It has a little bit for everyone.

It is up to "us". The power is in our hands.

Concerned Voter (Sent Monday, August 04, 2008 8:09 PM)

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