Nearly six years ago, Senator John Kerry and Texas oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens were mortal political enemies.
As a major backer of President George W. Bush’s re-election effort in 2004, Pickens contributed millions to a right-wing ad campaign questioning Kerry’s record as a Vietnam war hero. The ads, which Kerry disputed, put him on the defensive and may have contributed to the Democrat’s failure to win the White House.
On Wednesday, the billionaire and the Massachusetts senator sat side-by-side in the Capitol’s ornate Senate Foreign Relations Committee room, where Kerry presides as its chairman.
Their mission: To spread the word about the legislation Kerry and Senator Joseph Lieberman have written to tackle global warming by reducing U.S. consumption of dirty-burning fossil fuels blamed for climate change.
“If you look at life looking backwards and standing in one place, you’re going to waste your time,” Kerry told a small group of reporters when asked about the new relationship with the man he now calls “Boone.” “Six years ago was six years ago,” Kerry said.
