Obama Meets With 'Swift Boats' Bankroller T. Boone Pickens

[RamboLiberal]

Source: ABC News

RENO, Nev. -- At the Summit Casino-Resort, Sunday morning, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., met with oil man T. Boone Pickens, now a proponent of weaning the United States from foreign fuel, who was a funder of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group that helped defeat Sen. John Kerry's Democratic presidential run in 2004.

"How does it feel meeting with someone who tore down your Democratic colleague in the last election?" a reporter asked Obama.

"You know, he has a lot longer track record than that," Obama said. "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," Obama continued. "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."


Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/08/obama-m...

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I'm one DU'er who thinks right now T. Boone's message is helping Obama - I'm pissed at how he helped the Swiftboaters - but if his message helps Obama defeat McCain then I don't care that Obama met with him. IMHO it's a smart move.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. Obviously, Obama knows one very good thing:

"Hold your friends close and your enemies closer."

[Mabus]

5. True dat,

fwiw, T. Boone has been donating to Jim "outlier" Inhofe (http://www.newsmeat.com/billionaire_political_donations... ) and the RNC as recently as June of this year.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

7. Pickens

I wouldn't trust the guy as far as I could throw him.

Or with anything.

But, there's absolutely no harm in Obama making it known that he's allowing Pickens to cozy up to him. Given the publicity Pickens has garnered with his alternative energy proposal, it makes brilliant P.R. sense.

[lyonn]

20. Okla. = oil and gas, therefore, the Inhofe connection

Oil and gas often come out of the same well. Inhofe is a whore for oil/gas, anything that gets votes in Okla., a true creep.....

This is a win, win for Pickens since his claim to fame is oil. Many wells here in Okla. are gas wells more than oil producers.

[Mabus]

31. I grew up in Oklahoma

and most of my siblings still live in and around OKC. They are embarrassed by Inhofe.

[Submariner]

9. That's why people like me could never be president

I would probably unleash a string of epithets to burn T. Boone Pickens chicken ears off, which would then end up on You Tube and kill my campaign. So yes, Obama knows how and when to maintain his cool.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

13. I know some of the big money Chicago people

who have been behind Obama from when he was a Chicago organizer and then lawyer/professor. They're very smart, very savvy, and all are fans of the "Godfather" movies. And "Goodfellas."

Obama knows the game, because he's been tutored in it by real pros.

"If they bring a knife, we bring a gun."

I want his campaign to do it just this way. And win.

Then, later, Submariner, you and I can Crazy Glue shut their cars and houses. OK?

[madmax]

2. For his penance

he should endorse Obama!!

[YvonneCa]

6. And publicly apologize to...

...Senator Kerry.

[bahrbearian]

15. Senator Kerry and the Nation.

[AndyTiedye]

16. And Pay Off On That Challenge He Made (and Lost) to Kerry!

[David Zephyr]

40. That's the main issue with me. Thanks for saying so, YvonneCa.

For Senator Kerry!

[YvonneCa]

44. Thank you, too...

...for speaking out in support of Senator Kerry. The louder we can be, the better.

[napi21]

3. I think it was a smart move too! Boone's current message is in direct opposition to

McNuts idea! I feel much happier that he seems to be on our side this time. He can be a very wealthy adversary!

[FrenchieCat]

4. It is a smart move, up to a point..........

As long as the Obama camp plays its cards right.....or else, it could end up benefitting McCain. What we don't want is a pact with the devil, which to some extent is what T. Boone Pickens represents. But certainly, as long as the Obama Camp make the right moves, and keep control of the situation, it benefits Sen. Obama. T. Boone Pickens knows that whomever wins, he wants to be in the mix, so I doubt he will attempt to backstab the country again by clearly sidding with the thieves and the liars, so I expect him to keep his cards closer to his chest this election time.

The same can be said about Obama's participation in last night Saddleback Church forum. It helps him with those who he most likely had no chance with previously, and listening to Rick Warren's Sunday sermon, it appears that Warren like Obama believes that confronting Evil is all that we can do, as we cannot defeat Evil (per the Bible) which is what John McCain chose to say. In other words, Warren knows who would be best for America, even if it runs counter to what some might have previously thought; Warren knows that Obama can make a difference in confronting Evil, John McCain, not so much.

[napi21]

8. Yea, I laughed at that instant "Defeat It" comment by McNut!

Of course, I yelled at the TV "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" It's no different than Shrub saying he was going to eliminate all terrorists in the world! IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!

[FrenchieCat]

14. Yep. I'm surprised the Corporate media haven't consulted their Bibles

to realize that praising McCain for saying he will defeat Evil runs contrary to the reason Evil is among us.

I wrote to quite a few "journalists" on the subject last night, so we will just have to wait to see if any of them are brave enough to point this out. I wanted Amy Sullivan's email address, but was unable to locate it.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

10. :::: gagging ::::::

I turned on CNN last night to watch what I thought would be a debate. When I realized it was nothing more than an interrogation of the candidates separately, I turned it off. Disgusted.

This country, let us not forget, on the exact thing this so-called "debate" was about - which was that people would be free to live their lives without anyone questioning their religious beliefs, their "faith," or the lack of those two things. We are a nation founded on freedom of religion as well as freedom FROM religion.

But, I realize Obama's got to play the game, and I trust he did all right. If you have to get out there and suck up to these people in order to get elected, and it's not going to interfere with who you really are or what you really plan to do, then I am all for it. I just don't want to watch.

After all, Fuckface W. Bush sucked the collective evangelical dick twice to get "elected," and then he simply ignored them. So it's not like the precedent hasn't been set.

As I said, I just don't want to watch.

[blm]

21. Pickens just won the first battle in America's water wars. Get used to it.

He snowed Obama's people and Reid.

[Zhade]

37. I, for one, would like to hear you expound further on that.

NT!

[blm]

38. See this thread Z....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[Gregorian]

34. I love how you put that.

And Even though I was highly irritated by last night's discussion, tonight I am nearly elated. I personally avoid confrontation, and anyone who is even remotely conservative. But there is something so brilliant about trying to unify, as it appears Obama is doing. Not to mention, even the devil has power. Why not use it. Like a body guard.

And I really agree with your statemtent about confronting versus eliminating. Although America's problems are far more deep than that. Our evils are self-indulgent. As well as produced by our own government.

I am so anxious to see this country move in the direction I think Obama is going to urge it. Please let it be so.

[katandmoon]

11. Very disappointing answer. Pickens helped subject this country to four more extrremely damaging

Years of Bush.

[hlthe2b]

12. T. Boone Pickens a very mixed bag.... exploit what good he

brings, I say.... While he should not be trusted, his own self-interest in alternative energy makes his stand worth trusting (up to a point) and exploiting. That having been said, I do not think he will ever convert from his REPUG tendencies.

Nonetheless, I will forever be grateful for his attempts to help with the horror of abandoned pets after Katrina--sending his own planes for multiple transport of recovered abandoned pets.

[Politicalboi]

17. I think it's good for Obama

To keep his enemies close. But I wish the media would make hay out of what MaGoo said about us tax payers

This goes hand-in-hand with a statment McCain said last week at a private get-together. When joking about lopsided tax breaks at dinner, he purportedly justified it by saying, “People who make under $80,000 are too stupid to understand taxes anyway.”

http://www.jabberwonk.com/flinker.cfm?cliid=b7mva

[derby378]

18. Pickens will be the fucking anchor that drags Obama to the bottom of the sea

Two words: water privatization.

Good on Tommy for building those windmills in Texas, but that doesn't mean that we should trust him. He's up to something.

[napi21]

22. I never said "Trust Him"! Akk I said was take advantage of

his current statements "We can't drill our way out of this one" and "We must join together to find alternative energy". Of course Barack & everyone else has to keep their eyes on him all the time, but use what we can to our advantage.

[lyonn]

24. Pickens appears to be stumping for natural gas engines for cars.

He touts windmills too much and barely mentions the natural gas engine which doesn't get a lot of good press. I know nothing about NG engines....

[az chela]

26. This is NOT about energy it is about WATER

[liberal N proud]

19. Well if he is going to meet with the enemy...

I just don't know what to think.


I like reply 1 about friends and enemies.

[fla nocount]

23. This guy is about water. Google Pickins, Mesa, Oglala.

I know that I'm making folks do their own homework but I will supply the road map. Any ROW corridors for electricity or natural gas will carry water as well. This guy has done in Texas/Oklahoma what the Bushes are attempting in So. America....he controls the water from one of the world's mega-aquifers.

[az chela]

25. This is exactly what Pickens is doing

buying up the land for the water.He will take the land thru eminent domain and put in pipe lines to the big cities to sell them the water.This is very wrong!!!!!!!!!!!

[fla nocount]

30. Abilene and Sudan, Tx. You?

Silly fucks built a road out of town.....I took it, but the the attitude if not the heart is still there.

[MBS]

27. A long time ago, the NYT ran an editorial on the genus Rhus

whose members include things like poison ivy and poison oak. The NYT editorial went something like this: "Generations of fools have thought they could handle the stuff". . .

One might have to deal with poison ivy or poison oak. But one would be a fool to trust poison ivy or poison oak.
Anyone who thinks they can trust Pickens (another species of the genus Rhus) is a fool.

[karynnj]

35. Fantastic post!!

It is hard to think of words that adequately describe the odiousness this man - this does in a classy way.

[blm]

39. exactly.....

and some DC Dems will be the certain death of democracy as they coddle the fascists like Pickens.

[Festivito]

28. Good move. Keep friends close, enemies closer.

T. Boone is helping for the moment. Beware. He's still the same fool he was before, and he stands to make a profit from the new ideas he spouts.

[pop goes the weasel]

29. Good--shows Obama can be trusted to deliver

Obama has stated that he will meet with America's enemies in order to resolve conflicts without war. By meeting with Pickens, he is demonstrating that he means what he says about preferring politics to force. And Pickens is savvy; he wouldn't be meeting with Obama if he didn't think that Obama is the likely winner.

[Zenlitened]

32. T. Boone Pickens is a wonderful, wonderful man! Why, he...

... single-handedly invented wind!!!



Yeah, Boonie... "we need to develop wind-power right now." Where were you, say, 10 or 15 years ago? Oh, yeah... keepin' America hooked on oil.

[pnorman]

33. Let Us Break Bread,

NOT Wind!

pnorman
PS: Well, I thought it was funny!

[Algorem]

36. T-Bone Pickins?A guy named after a pork chop?Who cares what he says?

[David Zephyr]

41. Pickens needs to crawl on all fours and beg Kerry for forgiveness. I don't like this.

I'm sorry, but this guy underwrote the most vile television political campaign in American history: smearing a genuine American hero by making him look like a weasel.

I am not impressed that Obama and Pickens met.

Sorry. This isn't good enough for me.

Sometimes dirty money is always dirty money.

[snowbear]

42. *** Here's what concerns me....

T.Boone Pickins asked McSame to flip on opening ANWR to oil drilling.

I'm in Anchorage and the media here has been reporting that McSame is about to go into discussions with the Governor of Alaska, then will indeed flip on ANWR.

This tells me that McSame will do anything to kiss T.Boone's ass.

..

[blm]

43. There is way more to what's going on then Pickens' Trojan Horse Wind Corridor.

We are tired of Dems getting sucked in by the fascists.