Pickens Takes His Campaign to Capitol Hill

Oilman T. Boone Pickens’ pitch for a new plan to get the US off foreign oil is drawing a great deal of attention—partially due to its rhetorical ambition, and partially due to Pickens’ willingness to walk the walk with his estimated $4 billion checkbook. Politico examines Pickens’ determination to put wind power at the center of American energy policy, and his motives.

The so-called ‘Pickens Plan’—which calls for 20% of the nation's electricity to be wind-powered in 10 years—is pushed by face-to-face meetings with Pickens, as well as a massive multimedia promotional campaign and a swelling staff of aides and lobbyists. Today he's sitting down with the House Democratic caucus—quite a realignment for a guy who funded the Swift Boat Veterans in the 2004 campaign. (More T. Boone Pickens stories.)