Aug. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Democrat Barack Obama met with billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens today and said the two will address how the country can look past political differences to unify around a comprehensive energy policy.

Pickens contributed $3 million to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group that challenged Democrat John Kerry's war record in the 2004 presidential race.

``He's got a lot longer track record than that,'' Obama said when asked about Pickens' involvement in tearing down Kerry's war record. ``He's a legendary entrepreneur and one of the things that I think we have to unify the country around is having an intelligent energy policy.''

Pickens, the founder and chairman of Dallas-based BP Capital LLC, manages funds linked with both energy commodities and equities. He has said presidential candidates historically have failed to address the energy crisis. He discussed energy policy with Obama's rival, Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona, last week in Aspen, Colorado.

Pickens, 80, unveiled a national energy plan last month that relies on domestically produced natural gas to cut U.S. dependence on foreign oil. The campaign for his plan has a $58 million dollar budget that includes cable and radio advertisements.

`Nonpartisan Campaign'

Pickens, in a statement released after today's meeting, said he ``assured Senator Obama that this is a nonpartisan campaign and that I will do everything in my power to work together with leaders who are willing to solve our immense energy problems.''

``Any credible domestic energy policy must reduce our dependence on foreign oil by at least 30 percent in the next 10 years,'' Pickens said. Obama, he said, ``was very engaged'' in their discussion and ``understands the issues and is interested and excited by the work we are doing.''

Illinois Senator Obama, campaigning in Reno, Nevada, after a week-long vacation, is holding a town-hall meeting today where he will focus on economic issues. He will also stress the economy as he campaigns this week in New Mexico, North Carolina and Florida.

``Everybody knows, if we keep on going on the same track that we're going and we are giving our wealth away, we're funding both sides of the war on terror,'' Obama said before meeting with Pickens at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno. ``We're going to be over the long term putting enormous pressure on ordinary families here in America who just aren't going to be able to afford skyrocketing gasoline prices and home heating prices.''

Regular unleaded gasoline reached an average pump price of $4.11 a gallon on July 7, and oil touched a record $147.27 a barrel on July 11. While prices have dropped since, energy has become a top issue in the 2008 election campaigns for president and Congress.

To contact the reporter on this story: Julianna Goldman in Reno, Nevada at jgoldman6@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: August 17, 2008 14:51 EDT