T. Boone Pickens talks Romney's energy plan, slams Washington

(CBS News) Thursday, Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney is set to unveil his energy plan, with the goal of making the United States independent of overseas oil by 2020.

Clean energy evangelist and Chairmain and CEO of BP Capital, T. Boone Pickens, joined "CBS This Morning" on Thursday to talk with Gayle King and Charlie Rose about the evolution of his own Pickens Plan to reduce dependence on foreign and to share his thoughts on the proposed Romney and Obama policies.

Pickens' BP Capital operates energy focused commodity and equity funds and he is also the largest sharehold in Clean Energy, the biggest provider of vehicular natural gas in North America.

Pickens got an early look at the outline for the 21-page Romney plan, which will be introduced during a speech in Hobbs, N.M. Thursday.

"I was disapointed that he didn't mention natural gas," Pickens said, referring to the Romney plan. "The United States has more natural gas than any other country in the world...I cannot believe an energy plan that I saw, and I know I saw the outline, but there was no mention of natural gas."

Pickens said he has sat down with the Romney/Ryan campaign but told "CTM" co-hosts, "if that's the energy plan, I didn't have much influence on it."

Pickens did not limit his criticism to the presidential candidates, and touched on the issues around moving toward a comprehensive and effective energy plan for the U.S. "They don't know anything about energy in Washington. They don't understand it," Pickens said. "...the industry in the United States has done a fabulous job of providing oil and gas......wait a minute we're still importing dirty OPEC crude, why are we going to take clean natural gas and send it out of the country?" Pickens wondered on Thursday morning.