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Video: Real Chamber Spox Bursts Into Fake Chamber Presser
Rachel Slajda | October 20, 2009, 1:31PM
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Yesterday, pranksters and activists teamed up to pull a hoax on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, holding a fake press conference claiming the Chamber had decided to do a 180 and support climate change legislation.
Real Chamber spokesman Eric Wohlschlegel burst in about 20 minutes into the event, yelling, "This is not an official event ... This is a fraudulent press activity and a stunt."
He also told reporters who were there, "If you have any questions, you are welcome to direct them at me, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce."
But when reporters -- some of whom were fake -- asked him if the Chamber would acknowledge that climate change is real, he brushed them off.
The Yes Men, which put on the stunt, released video of the presser through their publicist. Watch it after the jump:
Wohlschlegel also approached the "spokesman" heading the presser, the Yes Men's Andy Bichlbaum, and demanded his business card.
The Chamber is fighting proposed cap-and-trade legislation aimed at stemming climate change.
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theWalrus
October 20, 2009 2:01 PM
Nobody expected the Commerce Inquisition!
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Dorn76
October 20, 2009 2:10 PM
Awesome, just awesome.
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Xeronimo
October 20, 2009 2:14 PM
The Commerce guy had a nice pen behind his ear though.
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Dadzo
October 20, 2009 4:02 PM in reply to Xeronimo
Actually, that was a pencil. It's imperative that he be able to erase anything that is ever put in writing.
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CitizenWorm
October 20, 2009 2:15 PM
This made me giggle.
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tchamp77
October 20, 2009 2:19 PM
Love that pencil on the ear of the real PR guy ear for effect!!! That probably caused people to doubt him more than the imposter.
In any case, wondering what fools the journalists in the room considered themselves for not catching on to the imposter and his eyebrow-raising answers considering the Chamber's previous stance. They seemed to be eating it all up.
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JEP07
October 20, 2009 2:31 PM in reply to tchamp77
The more the Chamber pursues legal revenge, the more publicity the Yes Men get.
"Book em', Danno!"
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Hussein Stemper
October 20, 2009 2:22 PM
Guess after the ACORN sting, Yes Men thought two could play at this Candid Camera game?
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_jonny_5_
October 20, 2009 2:24 PM
I like this strategy,
They should, however, have utilized it posing as representatives of AHIP(health Ins. lobby) and let them try and defend themeselves under these circumstances.
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theWalrus
October 20, 2009 2:29 PM
The Yes Men should have had a third CoC "representative" waiting to barge in after Wohlschlegel apppeared. "Ladies and gentlemen, *those* two men are FRAUDS! *I* amd the real CoC representative!"
What a hoot!
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rbeats
October 20, 2009 2:31 PM
This guy from the Chamber is no different than Karen Ignagni.
Making large short term money on lies that will limit the future of mankind, including their own offspring.
Utter despicable scum.
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jealousmonk
October 20, 2009 2:36 PM
Um, folks... How are the Yes Men better than Bonner and Associates?
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commie atheist
October 20, 2009 2:58 PM in reply to jealousmonk
If you really don't know the answer to that, you are on the wrong website, bub.
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tctundra
October 20, 2009 2:37 PM
Warms my heart...
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Johnsnottoodistracted
October 20, 2009 2:57 PM
Well of course they would have to stop anyone from telling the truth or making sense, after all they are the 'chamber of commerce" you know? That's the one you have to register with to be legal.
Good work!
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commie atheist
October 20, 2009 2:59 PM
Business Cards: now accepted as proof of identity the world over.
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_jonny_5_
October 20, 2009 4:46 PM in reply to commie atheist
Now if Obama had just made up buisness cards that read...
Sen. Barack Obama
Natural-Born Citizen
We wouldn't have a Birther Problem...
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tchamp77
October 20, 2009 4:53 PM in reply to commie atheist
hilarious!
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The Other Ed
October 20, 2009 3:27 PM
It's interesting to see the the US Chamber of Commerce endorses the disruption of public events and I look forward to seeing how they react when it happens to them.
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Atlas Scruggs
October 20, 2009 3:29 PM
"You can direct any questions to me."
And then they asked him a bunch of questions which he refused to answer.
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TJF
October 20, 2009 3:34 PM
As if there is a difference between a "fake" PR guy and a "real" PR guy.
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cwnidog
October 20, 2009 4:08 PM in reply to TJF
Probably only in how much they're paid. Oh, and in who's going to hell after they die.
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mike from Arlington
October 20, 2009 3:38 PM
I bet next time they make some business cards.
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An Outhouse
October 20, 2009 3:49 PM in reply to mike from Arlington
and have another person barge in, with fake security, and accuse both of the first guys of being fakes.
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foxhunter
October 20, 2009 3:49 PM
Mr. Wholschlegel was obviously on a Ramen noodle high.
To wit: http://twitter.com/Wohlschlegel/status/1275921476
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commie atheist
October 21, 2009 1:18 AM in reply to foxhunter
The MSG will get you every time.
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romath
October 20, 2009 4:11 PM
This is what TPM has come to: giving front billing to amateurish stunts and politicians' sexual affairs. So much for the value of Josh Marshall's PhD. And, by the way, the true CCC guy didn't deny climate change - I don't know their exact position - but was denying generally that anything that had been said in the press conference wasn't representative of their position.
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_jonny_5_
October 20, 2009 4:53 PM in reply to romath
Actually there is tremendous value to pointing out blatant hypocrisy(RE:affairs) and BS Public relations (RE:CoC)
and to your point "the true CCC guy didn't deny climate change"...
Correct, He didn't deny climate change. He didn't answer the questions he requested be directed at him. (at someone else's press conterance) So good job pointing out that he dodged the question, but I think we all caught that on our own.
Keep on Trolling...
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archpundit
October 20, 2009 5:53 PM in reply to romath
Mr. Cohen, your concern is noted.
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commie atheist
October 21, 2009 1:20 AM in reply to romath
I don't know their exact position
And yet you see fit to defend them. You'd make a fine Republican operative.
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Waltz
October 20, 2009 4:27 PM
"I have a pencil behind my ear and business cards. Clearly that makes me a very important man."
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TheOtherWA
October 20, 2009 4:45 PM
I don't know what's funnier, some media reporting this without a single phone call to the Chamber to verify, or the "real" PR flack freaking out at the press conference.
I love this stunt!
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Bushie
October 20, 2009 6:20 PM
How timely. I've been watching Monty Python: "Almost the Truth" on IPC. Monty Python couldn't have done a better job than an outraged Eric Wohlschlegel bursting on stage, condemning the speaker. Impeccable timing.
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amber
October 21, 2009 12:31 AM
That was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. SNL.. for real.
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