Dallas, TX – Democrat Barack Obama met Sunday with Boone Pickens to discuss strategies for developing alternative energy.
The presidential hopeful praised Pickens as a ``legendary entrepreneur'' and deflected a question about the billionaire's role in helping to fund a television ad campaign that undermined John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic nominee.
``You know, he's got a longer track record than that,'' Obama told reporters when asked about Pickens' association with the ads by a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. ``One of the things I think we have to unify the country around is having an intelligent energy policy. ... That's what we're going to be talking about.''
The high cost of energy has emerged as a central campaign issue between Obama and his Republican rival John McCain. Pickens met with McCain in Colorado last week to discuss his plan and requested a similar meeting with Obama. The two men talked privately for about 45 minutes, campaign officials said Sunday.