Energy Secretary backpedals on call for higher gas prices

Energy Secretary Steven Chu's insane statement in 2008 About
gas prices needing to be at higher levels
to support more use of "renewable" energy
is back to bite him.

Obama himself is shouting that he has no control over gas prices and
how stupid it would be for him to think high prices
would help his re-election campaign if the government
was to get prices "up" in order to encourage
less fossil fuel use.

Chu now has "changed" his mind of course.
(especially with all the failed green projects that made cronies richer and richer and richer ....
all at OUR expense !!)


Well, if they made the statement in 2008, that MUST mean they were actually
able to somehow control the price of gas .... right ?


Published March 13, 2012
FoxNews.com

What a difference a week makes for President Obama, as rising gas prices put more and more pressure on his administration.

Last Tuesday at a news conference, the president insisted to Fox News that it was fallacy to think his team was in favor of higher gas prices to wean Americans off fossil fuels.

"You think the president of the United States going into reelection wants gas prices to go up higher?" the president asked. "Is that -- is there anybody here who thinks that makes a lot of sense?"

Fast forward to this week, when the president's Energy Secretary Steven Chu acknowledged Tuesday at a Senate hearing that he indeed told the Wall Street Journal in September 2008 that getting U.S. prices up to higher, European-level gas prices would help move Americans to use more renewables.

But with rising gas prices sinking the president's approval rating in some new national polls, Chu says he has had a change of heart.

"Are you saying that you no longer share the view that we need to figure out how to boost gasoline prices in America?" Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, asked Chu.

"I no longer share that view," the energy secretary said.

To Raise or not to Raise ?


Glad to see they finally got their stories straight !!

How much is gas in your neighborhoods ?

Classic! Wonder who was yanking Chu's string to come up with that. The poor puppet has been set up to take the heat off of Obama. Obama's band of proxy puppets and fall guys is quite amusing.

People forget about when obama said that energy prices will naturally skyrocket under cap and trade.

You know, when I was asked earlier about the issue of coal, uh, you know — Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad. Because I’m capping greenhouse gases, coal power plants, you know, natural gas, you name it — whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, uh, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.

hotair.com...

Apply that same rationale to gasoline prices. Obama wants to put an end to all fossil fuels and keeping prices high will inevitably help his cause. Sure he may manipulate gas prices enough to get reelected but then all bets are off if he wins. We will see 4 years of skyrocketing increases. Since he took office gas prices are up nearly 90%. Imagine what he could do in a lame duck term. He does not care about our wallets one bit. We are just a means to an end.

He revealed his scheme when he said he would buy a volt in 5 years after winning the 2012 election. If he had his way that would be the only vehicle choice for the nation. Reminds me of the Trabant.

Perhaps we should learn something from the Trabant (a govt. subsidized vehicle like the Volt)

With its mediocre performance, inefficient two-stroke engine, noxious fumes and production shortages, the Trabant is often cited as an example of the disadvantages of centralized planning; on the other hand, it is regarded with derisive affection as a symbol of the failed former East Germany and of the fall of communism (in former West Germany, as many East Germans streamed into West Berlin and West Germany in their Trabants after the opening of the Berlin Wall in 1989). It was in production without any significant changes for nearly 30 years with 3,096,099 Trabants produced in total.[3] In 2008, Time magazine rated the Trabant as one of the 50 worst cars ever made.[4]

en.wikipedia.org...

With lawncare,landscapers and tree services ready to start back up, they will be having fits over the higher prices. If prices go to high, they will cut back on how many they hire. Not to mention the trucking industry itself and how it affects the whole economy.

Why do Americans call petrol gas? You buy it in a liquid form and it is not a gas until it is in its waste form after the combustion has taken place.

In Australia we are currently paying around $1.42 per litre of 91ron petrol.

reply to post by UsualSuspect


Technically its Gasoline same as Petrol just different terms same meaning and product. We are lazy and just call it gas. We call flatulence gas as well. A different form of internal combustion...

Originally posted by UsualSuspect
Why do Americans call petrol gas? You buy it in a liquid form and it is not a gas until it is in its waste form after the combustion has taken place.

In Australia we are currently paying around $1.42 per litre of 91ron petrol.

Why do you say Americans? Do they say gas in South America? Or are you too lazy to type North America?

From wiki

Americans, or American people, are the citizens of the United States. The United States is home to people of different national origins. As a result, Americans do not equate their nationality with ethnicity, but with citizenship.

reply to post by jjkenobi


yes I was referring to the citizens of the United States of America.

reply to post by UsualSuspect


Why do Aussies and Brits call gasoline petrol? Wouldn't the correct term be petroleum distillate?

Anyways, back on topic, If gas prices keep rising expect to see a stall in the so called economic "recovery." Food prices will rise due to the higher transportation costs and as people struggle to keep food on the table and enough gas in their cars to get back and forth to work they will be spending less on consumer items like the new iPad 3 and 3D televisions.

Things will not bode well for Obama's reelection if gas is around $4 per gallon.

Originally posted by UsualSuspect
Why do Americans call petrol gas? You buy it in a liquid form and it is not a gas until it is in its waste form after the combustion has taken place.

In Australia we are currently paying around $1.42 per litre of 91ron petrol.

i say gas, because it's the shortened version of gasoline. certainly easier than saying petrol, the shortened version of petroleum distillate.

Well, Xuenchen, it only took a minute and 22 seconds for someone to derail your thread on this topic! That's got to be some kind of record.

Come on people, do you have to be so obvious?

Anyway, the audio of the exchange between Chu and Mike Lee is hilarious. Here's a link to the CSPAN video, on Real Clear Politics site

www.realclearpolitics.com...

The most interesting part, where Chu stumbles all over himself answering Lee's question is at the 4:15 mark...

Enjoy

Chu told the truth for once that is the green intiative you have to make gas more expensive so that alternative energy becomes "competitive".

And yeah higher gas prices was the result of the offfshore drilling ban no new refineries that have been built in the last 20 years is another result of higher gas prices.

Local,state,federal regulations all have led to higher gas prices, increased population has increase gas prices,inflation has increased gas prices.

Printing money which has happened during the last 3 years,increase green legislation that has been written in the last 3 years.

Yeah whether people can admit it or not Obama has played the largest role at "the pain at the pump".

Making a dude who doesn't drive nor pay gas secretary of energy well you get what you deserve.

ps. the financial reform act Frank Dodd didn't help either.

reply to post by UsualSuspect

Why do Americans call petrol gas? You buy it in a liquid form and it is not a gas until it is in its waste form after the combustion has taken place.

More importantly, what does that have to do with this thread?

reply to post by xuenchen

What a difference a week makes for President Obama, as rising gas prices put more and more pressure on his administration. Last Tuesday at a news conference, the president insisted to Fox News that it was fallacy to think his team was in favor of higher gas prices to wean Americans off fossil fuels. "You think the president of the United States going into reelection wants gas prices to go up higher?" the president asked. "Is that -- is there anybody here who thinks that makes a lot of sense?"

I would say that statement sums it up right there. Translation of Obama's comment: "It would be stupid for me to give the impression I would want higher gas prices while I'm campaigning for re-election. I'll pretend like that was a comment made in error until after I'm elected, then I'll we'll jack those prices up.....same concept as 'hope' and 'change." That worked to get me elected, didn't it?