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Obama Meets With T. Boone Pickens

(CBS)
From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic:

(RENO, NEV.) Barack Obama met with oil tycoon, T. Boone Pickens, at a casino-resort this morning, where the two were expected to discuss energy policy. However, the photo op of the men, smiling and shaking hands, became a bit tense after a reporter asked Obama how it felt to be meeting with someone who "tore down" John Kerry in 2004.

"You know, he has a lot longer track record than that," Obama said as he defended Pickens adding, "he's a legendary entrepreneur and, you know, one of the things that I think we have to unify the country around is having an intelligent energy policy."

There wasn't a peep out of Pickens, though, who stood next to Obama and smiled awkwardly.

Pickens reportedly donated about $3 million to the "Swift Boat Vets for Truth" group, which funded the "swift boat" ads lambasting Kerry in 2004.

Pickens, who initially supported Rudy Giuliani's candidacy, has has become a self-described "surprising environmentalist" and has not endorsed Obama or McCain.

The Obama campaign said Pickens initiated today's meeting in Reno; Pickens met with John McCain last week.

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