Obama's Energy Chief Hits Reverse on Gas Price Gaffe

President Obama's Energy secretary, Steven Chu, on Tuesday backed away from his previously stated desire to see gas prices rise to match European levels in order to motivate alternative-energy research, the Washington Examiner reported.

Amid steadily rising prices at the pump and falling poll numbers for his boss, Chu is now telling Congress he wants gas prices to fall for the sake of the economy.

"We have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe," Chu said in 2008. When reminded of that comment during another congressional appearance Tuesday, Chu backed away from that position.

"I no longer share that view," Chu told Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. "When I became secretary of Energy, I represented the United States government, and I think right now in this economic, very slow, return -- these prices could very well affect the comeback of our economy," the Nobel Prize winner added.