FOR the first time so far in my career, I briefly fell for a hoax: the Yes Men's impersonation of the US Chamber of Commerce, announcing that they had decided to suport a cap-and-trade bill.  An e-mail from took the unwary journalist to a web page where "Tom Donahue", "president" of the USCC "said"



Reuters, making me glad I don't work at wire-service turnaround rates, reported the hoax as truth, and their write-ups went on to the pages of the New York Times and Washington Post.

Shame. Thanks to the fairly careful phrasing of the "remarks" by Mr Donahue, I really had thought that the Chamber had budged. Their position on climate has been between obdurate and ridiculous—one policy guru at the USCC has said that the science of climate change should undergo a "Scopes Monkey trial". The Chamber has sought to undermine trust in the science of climate change, talking up anti-climate-science books and speakers, and then denied that it had done so. This made several utilities (like Exelon and PG&E, with fairly low-carbon generation portfolios) bolt the Chamber, along with the rather better known Apple.

A side note: Proving that the paranoid strain is alive and well in American politics, when CNBC reported and then retracted the hoax, Larry Kudlow wondered aloud if the White House was involved in the ruse. Really, Mr Kudlow? The White House, Politico has reported, has indeed tried to sidestep the chamber and go straight to businesses. But engineering a hoax?