Lobbying for his plan to sharply ramp up renewables, the billionaire oilman has been brought face to face with the Big Energy Lie — the absurd notion that either John McCain or the Republicans in Congress actually believe in an “all of the above” energy policy.

In my interview with Pickens last month, he was able to offer only the blandest reply to a question pointing out that Dems back renewables but the GOP doesn’t: “So let me ask you, how do we, how do we get Republicans to support that kind of investment in renewables?” See his rambling answer here.

Think Progress reports on a sadder but wiser (and far more cogent) Pickens at the National Press Club yesterday:

Q: You told The New York Times last month that you’d never vote for a Democrat. Are you finding that difficult in reaching out to Democrats then with your plan? […]

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Pickens: So I am having no problem working with the Democrats. Having a little problem working with the Republicans. They don’t like it because I want to do more than just drill. And they, somehow have gotten it, a lot of them have, that you can drill your way out of this. But you can’t do it. There’s not enough oil there to do it.

I guess he missed the GOP convention.

You can see the video of Pickens here:

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Assuming Republicans (including John McCain) continue blocking an intelligent energy policy — and blocking a vital climate policy, for that matter — this may well be our new mantra, the mantra of self-destruction:

They don’t like it because I want to do more than just drill.

Still, you can’t really feel too sorry for the billionaire über-conservative oil man who helped get Bush re-elected by funding of the Swift boat ads, who supports John McCain now, and who dumbed down his own message on drilling, presumably after pushback from his Big Oil buddies — see his “Drill, drill, drill” ad.

Again, if you back McCain and the GOP, then you must want energy policies that will leave this country forever crippled economically, forever vulnerable to the whims of the oil-producing nations like Russia, Venezuela, and the Persian Gulf states. Until Pickens puts his money behind progressive politicians, then his quest for progressive policies will remain an impossible dream.

This post was created for ClimateProgress.org, a project of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.