Pickens: We are paying for both sides of the Iraqi war

Oilman and billionaire T. Boone Pickens was in Washington today to testify before a Senate panel on the "Pickens Plan" that aims to increase renewable energy sources and get the U.S. off foreign oil. Although his plan focuses on wind, what really bugs him is imported oil.

But Pickens has talked favorably about ethanol in the past. This article, however, notes that Pickens told the panel today that as long as it gets us away from foreign oil, he's for just about anything -- and everything that's American. Ethanol fits that perfectly.

What drew interest here, though, is this comment: I am convinced we are paying for both sides of the Iraqi war.

That phrase is similar to those who argue that our more than a billion dollar a day foreign oil habit is, essentially, forcing us to pay for both sides of the war on terror. Robert Zubrin comes to mind, and he is a big believer in ethanol because it can be produced domestically and globally, which will change the dynamics of world energy markets.