The Orbis

Issue date: 11/12/08 Section: Commentary

Oil tycoon and energy independence advocate T. Boone Pickens turned 80 this year.

Just a few months ago, most Americans had never heard of T. Boone Pickens. Then, all of a sudden, people could not turn on their televisions without seeing a commercial about the Pickens Plan.

The Republicans spent the summer promoting offshore drilling as the solution to the nation's energy problems. And while they were chanting "drill, baby, drill" at the GOP convention, this oilman turned energy crusader was undermining their message by refocusing public opinion on wind and natural gas. For many progressives, including myself, it seemed too good to be true.

While Pickens is now singing the praises of bipartisanship, he has a history in Republican politics of the lowest form. Pickens was a major financial backer of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group that famously slandered John Kerry's military record in 2004. Though he did not engage in any partisan activity during the 2008 presidential election, Pickens is still unrepentant for funding the group, claiming that he will not apologize until John Kerry releases his military records from 1971 (when Kerry was released from active duty) to 1978 (when he was honorably discharged).

Additionally, Pickens supports energy sources that aren't environmentally friendly and may inhibit more environmentally friendly long term solutions. He claims that he is for "everything that is American" because breaking our dependence on foreign oil is his goal.

There are also questions about Pickens' motives, given the fact that he stands to make considerable financial gains from his plan. And it's not just progressives who are skeptical. Jerry Taylor of the CATO Institute argues that the Pickens Plan is nothing more than a way for Pickens to rig the markets in favor of his own investments.
This isn't to say that Pickens doesn't have supporters in the progressive camp. Carl Pope, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, has said that Pickens is "out to save America." And while Al Gore and Pickens do fundamentally disagree over whether we should move to natural gas vehicles or electric vehicles, the two have met several times in order to find common ground.

While Pickens has been courting political leaders in both parties, it seems as though the Democrats have been more receptive than the Republicans. Both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D- Nev.) and Rep. Rahm Emmanuel (D-Il.), soon to be President Obama's White House Chief of Staff, are supporters of the Pickens Plan.

Pickens has spent $58 million and several months traveling around the country promoting not only his plan but himself. He markets himself as a straight-talking, folksy Texan. His strategy of marketing himself along with his plan has been very successful. Pickens has enlisted one million supporters for his plan in just a few months. Of course, this slick marketing campaign raises the suspicion that the salesman might be trying to cover for selling snake oil. One of his sales pitches is the particularly disturbing claim that he is the only person in America with a serious plan, which is simply untrue.

There's no definitive answer as to what Pickens' motives are and whether his plan is in the best interest of the country. He may indeed have the answer to our nation's energy problems. But those who have been lured in by Pickens' folksiness and charm would do well to be a little more skeptical. As the old saying goes, "if it sounds too good to be true, usually it is."

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