Say Anything Blog

North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan issued a press release about T. Boone Pickens, the “legendary” oil man who is currently hawking wind power with the same level of shameless promotion of a carnival barker, coming to Dorgan’s Great Plains Energy Expo and Showcase (a taxpayer-funded event that exists for the exclusive purpose of promoting the all-Democrat North Dakota Congressional delegation’s energy agenda).

Here’s an interesting way to look at this development: Dorgan hates the oil companies.  He thinks the oil companies make excessive amounts of profits.  He thinks those profits should be taken from the oil companies and given to the government.  He, in general, doesn’t think the government should help the oil companies in any way.

Pickens, on the other hand, is an oil billionaire who stands to make billions more if the government invests in his wind energy plan.  And since wind energy has never once in the history of the world been marketable in the energy markets without government subsidy, the investment Pickens is looking for is significant.

So answer me this: Why is Dorgan ok with promoting the interests of wind energy billionaires who want to dip further into the taxpayer’s pockets to fund their industry, but not ok with oil industry billionaires making their profits?