Andy: Shhhh...

Mike: Shhh...

Title: The Yes Men present...

Rush Limbaugh VO: A hoax email!

Title: A semi-secret video

Rush Limbaugh VO: So we’ve got a group known for, for, for perpetrating stunts!

Title: about

Rush Limbaugh VO: And here we have our vaunted, and respected, state-controlled media falling for it without even checking it out!

Title: featuring Title: Wolf Blitzer Title: Al Gore Title: and Rush Limbaugh

Rush Limbaugh VO: The Internet is just a sewer, it seems to me they get most of their news from that sewer these days!

[fade to Washington, DC: Andy and Mike lugging luggage near capitol building]

Mike VO: Back in September, we were working with a bunch of climate change activists to plan an event in Washington DC. We wanted to make a political point about an organization that’s pulling off some of the world's biggest hoaxes.

[Freeze frame on White House]

Mike VO: No, not this organization, the one across the street. The one that looks like a US government office, but really is working against the government.

[Chamber of Commerce logo]

Mike VO: In reality, the US Chamber of Commerce is a large corporation that is reported to lie to the public on behalf of even bigger corporations. They spend nearly half a million dolars a day trying to convince the US government to do really stupid shit, like killing environmental regulations and undermining workers’ rights. But since they spend so much money on their hoaxes, many people believe them.

Mike, on screen: And as it says, American Free Enterprise. Dream Big. But their dreams are our nightmares, because their plans are to prevent us from passing climate change legislation, which means we’re screwed.

Mike VO: Since the Chamber was hoaxing us all and threatening our survival, we decided to fight fire with fire. We would reveal one of their biggest lies, by masquerading as them. We would hold a press conference as the Chamber at the National Press Club. But first, we sent out a parody press release from them. It was sort of like their normal ones, except ours was sane. How would the world react to the chamber suddenly reversing its position on climate change?

Fox newscaster: And a reversal on climate change from the US Chamber of Commerce – it will reverse its position on the climate change bill, and wants a carbon tax if you will... All right, so, the US Chamber’s denying it now... All right, so, maybe not! Apparently it was a hoax. Either there is a group or some people or a person –

Larry King: Is there any involvement of the White House whatsoever?

Larry King's interviewee: I couldn’t even begin to go there Larry on that one.

Rachel Maddow: Today the country’s largest business lobby was punked. It began early this morning when a press release went out, reportedly from the United States Chamber of Commerce. Amazingly, the release said that the Chamber would now support this legislation that it spent months fighting against. Reporters were surprised, and probably a bit confused about this odd turn of events, but that was nothing compared to what actually happened at the press conference when it was held later on this morning. Watch this tape:

Andy at the National Press Club lectern: Clean coal is a technology that has not only not been proven, it basically doesn’t exist.

Eric Wohlschlegel, head of PR for the US Chamber of Commerce: Okay, I’m Eric Wohlschlegel, I’m with the US Chamber of Commerce, um, this is not an official US Chamber of Commerce event, um, so, I don’t know what pretenses you’re here... I know some of you from the press world, but this is a fraudulent press activity and a stunt.

Andy: Who are you really sir?

Eric: And... do you have a business card? Are you with the US Chamber?

Andy: I... yeah I do. We can discuss afterwards.

Eric: Okay. Can I see your business card?

Andy: Can I see yours?

Eric: Are you here representing the US Chamber of Commerce?

Andy: Yes I am.

Eric: Okay, well I work there and you do not look familiar to me at all.

Andy: Could I see your business card?

Eric: Is this a stunt?

Andy: Could I see your business card?

Eric: Is this a stunt?

Reporter: Sir, are you interrupting a press conference?

Eric: Yes I am. And this guy does not represent the US Chamber of Commerce.

Reporter: Can we finish the Q&A?

Eric: No. This not an official Chamber of Commerce. This is not uh... what is your position at the Chamber of Commerce?

Andy: I just spoke my position.

Eric: What is your title, your official title at the US Chamber of Commerce?

Andy: I’m the assistant to Mr. Donahue.

Eric: Okay, this guy is a fraud, he’s lying, you know, this is a stunt that I’ve never seen before. So if you’d like to actually talk to the legitimate Chamber of Commerce I’ve got my business cards outside. This gentleman I can assure you does not have any business cards and he’s not legitimate.

Male news anchor: Show me your business card. No, show me yours... show me yours.

Woman anchor: Yeah, they both look like imposters! What?

Male anchor: You got a business card?

Woman anchor: Its so weird though –

Male anchor: Cuz you don’t look familiar.

CNN anchor John Roberts: The US Chamber of Commerce says it was victimized...

Wolf Blitzer: Victims of a hoax by environmental activists....

Dylan Ratigan anchor VO: They said "public relations hoaxes undermine the genuine effort to find solutions on the challenge of climate change"

Reporter on Dylan Ratigan: A hoax actually led to the chamber admitting that there is a challenge for climate change. IT seems like a good first step. So next hoaxes about poverty, violence, hunger,

Ratigan: Education... we’ve got

Woman: Education, it’s a good first step

Ratigan: We’ve got a big education hoax in this country.

Woman: The hoax is a good first step.

Ratigan: Yeah.

[cut to CU of Andy in snow]

Andy: so that’s the story folks.

Mike: Not entirely! So then they decided to use this opportunity to raise funds.

Andy: Mmm-hmm.

Mike: They put out google ads.

Andy: You’d click on that, and it’d take you to a page from the US Chamber of Commerce asking you to give them $250 to help defend themselves against us.

Mike: It gets even funnier. They not only used this opportunity to fundraise, but then they decided to sue us.

Andy: [laughter] And by the way, we’re being represented by some of the best lawyers in the world. We’re being defended by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Go to EFF.org to check them out.

Title: The End

Andy: Wait wait! There's another punchline. Not only did Fox pick up our release, not only did Wohlschlegel come in and interrupt our press conference, not only did the Chamber of Commerce come in and try to raise funds off this event, and not only did...

Mike: ... they sue us...

Andy: ... and not only did they sue us, but they actually changed their policy two weeks later.

Al Gore: Just today, the Chamber of Commerce changed positions, not courtesy of the Yes Men, with that stunt in Washington a few weeks ago, but they’re now saying, surprisingly to me, and I’m glad about it, that they want to get legislation and they’re now working with the sponsors of the bill.

Andy: Gore saying "it didn’t happen because of the yes men" is kind of the highest complement we’ve ever been paid I think.

Voice of Rush Limbaugh over titles: The US Chamber of Commerce needs the support of every American who gives a damn about free markets, private property and fears creeping fascism. This country can not afford for the insurance industry to cave, this contry can not afford for the Chamber of Commerce to cave. The Chamber of Commerce has been screwed!

VIDEO FOOTAGE COURTESY OF
Brandon Jourdan
Rob Davenport
Liz Cole

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