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Seems Obama not only has started squirming over him saying his policies would make energy prices skyrocket, his Energy Secretary is backtracking over saying he wanted us to pay European prices for gas.
Obama energy chief disavows ’08 remark favoring higher gas prices
By Andrew Restuccia - 03/13/12 01:01 PM ET
Energy Secretary Steven Chu on Tuesday disavowed his 2008 comments about increasing gas prices to European levels, remarks that Republicans have pounced on in recent weeks.
“I no longer share that view,” Chu said during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, adding that he wants to lower gas prices.
Chu, who just four years ago talked of boosting the price of gasoline to the levels of Europe, on Tuesday said higher gas prices could slow the economic recovery.
“Right now there is real hardship that Americans are suffering at the gasoline pump. We have gone through a terrible recession and a worldwide recovery, but the recovery is fragile and so, as I’ve said, another spike in gasoline prices could put that recovery in jeopardy,” he told reporters after the hearing.
“There are many, many reasons why we do not want the price of gasoline to go up, we want it to go down.”
Chu's disavowal of his earlier comments is the latest sign of concern from the Obama administration over how rising gas prices could hurt the president's reelection changes.
Obama in the first months of the year had been bolstered by an improving economy and the GOP primary fight, but two polls this week showed his approval ratings dropping as the price of gas nears $4.00 per gallon.
The White House has moved aggressively to deflect GOP criticism over gas prices, with the president giving several energy speeches in the last few weeks, and Obama holding a series of broadcast interviews Monday on energy.
Chu, when he was director of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, told The Wall Street Journal in late 2008 that “Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe,” and said he supported gradually increasing gasoline taxes over 15 years to coax consumers into buying more efficient cars.
Chu declined Tuesday to say whether he regretted making the 2008 comments.
“Let me not comment on that,” he said.
Chu had previously backed off the 2008 gas price comments during his Senate confirmation process to be Energy secretary in early 2009 and in subsequent remarks.
But, amid soaring gas prices, Republicans have revived Chu’s comments to argue that the administration wants higher prices at the pump in order to win more support for its clean-energy policies.
The GOP has also seized on separate comments by Chu during a vague exchange earlier this month with Rep. Alan Nunnelee (R-Miss.).
Chu was touting administration efforts to boost vehicle electrification, natural gas and other steps to reduce reliance on oil when Nunnelee asked “But is the overall goal to get our price ... ?”
Chu interrupted, “No, the overall goal is to reduce our dependency on oil, to build and strengthen our economy” with alternative sources and efficiency.
While Chu added that this will help consumers, Republicans on Capitol Hill and on the presidential campaign trail have nonetheless used the comments to bolster their allegations that the administration wants higher prices.
The Energy secretary has consistently pushed back on these claims, as has President Obama.
“Obviously what we want to do is get gas prices as low as we can, as quickly as we can, but the most important thing in order to do that is to reduce our demand of oil,” Obama said during an interview with a local Florida television station Monday.
Obama energy chief disavows ’08 remark favoring higher gas prices
By Andrew Restuccia - 03/13/12 01:01 PM ET
Energy Secretary Steven Chu on Tuesday disavowed his 2008 comments about increasing gas prices to European levels, remarks that Republicans have pounced on in recent weeks.
“I no longer share that view,” Chu said during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, adding that he wants to lower gas prices.
Chu, who just four years ago talked of boosting the price of gasoline to the levels of Europe, on Tuesday said higher gas prices could slow the economic recovery.
“Right now there is real hardship that Americans are suffering at the gasoline pump. We have gone through a terrible recession and a worldwide recovery, but the recovery is fragile and so, as I’ve said, another spike in gasoline prices could put that recovery in jeopardy,” he told reporters after the hearing.
“There are many, many reasons why we do not want the price of gasoline to go up, we want it to go down.”
Chu's disavowal of his earlier comments is the latest sign of concern from the Obama administration over how rising gas prices could hurt the president's reelection changes.
Obama in the first months of the year had been bolstered by an improving economy and the GOP primary fight, but two polls this week showed his approval ratings dropping as the price of gas nears $4.00 per gallon.
The White House has moved aggressively to deflect GOP criticism over gas prices, with the president giving several energy speeches in the last few weeks, and Obama holding a series of broadcast interviews Monday on energy.
Chu, when he was director of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, told The Wall Street Journal in late 2008 that “Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe,” and said he supported gradually increasing gasoline taxes over 15 years to coax consumers into buying more efficient cars.
Chu declined Tuesday to say whether he regretted making the 2008 comments.
“Let me not comment on that,” he said.
Chu had previously backed off the 2008 gas price comments during his Senate confirmation process to be Energy secretary in early 2009 and in subsequent remarks.
But, amid soaring gas prices, Republicans have revived Chu’s comments to argue that the administration wants higher prices at the pump in order to win more support for its clean-energy policies.
The GOP has also seized on separate comments by Chu during a vague exchange earlier this month with Rep. Alan Nunnelee (R-Miss.).
Chu was touting administration efforts to boost vehicle electrification, natural gas and other steps to reduce reliance on oil when Nunnelee asked “But is the overall goal to get our price ... ?”
Chu interrupted, “No, the overall goal is to reduce our dependency on oil, to build and strengthen our economy” with alternative sources and efficiency.
While Chu added that this will help consumers, Republicans on Capitol Hill and on the presidential campaign trail have nonetheless used the comments to bolster their allegations that the administration wants higher prices.
The Energy secretary has consistently pushed back on these claims, as has President Obama.
“Obviously what we want to do is get gas prices as low as we can, as quickly as we can, but the most important thing in order to do that is to reduce our demand of oil,” Obama said during an interview with a local Florida television station Monday.
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