Fwd: Sarah Palin Pranked!

US Elections: 1 More Day

Oh, have I been pranked?

VP candidate duped into discussing politics and family with comedian posing as French president

MRS Sarah Palin told a Canadian comedian posing as French President Nicolas Sarkozy during a prank call that 'maybe in 8 years' she will be president.

PICTURES: AP

The US vice-presidential nominee unwittingly discusses politics, the perils of hunting with Vice-President Dick Cheney and Mr Sarkozy's 'beautiful wife,' in the telephone call with comedian Marc-Antoine Audette, set to air today on a Quebec radio station.

When the caller tells the Republican in a strong French accent that he can see her as president, she laughs and says: 'Maybe in 8 years.'

Palin campaign spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt confirmed she received the prank call.

'Governor Palin was mildly amused to learn that she had joined the ranks of heads of state, including President Sarkozy and other celebrities, in being targeted by these pranksters. C'est la vie,' she said.

Drops many clues

The comedian, one half of Canada's popular Masked Avengers duo, drops several clues that the call is a trick.

He refers to French singer Johnny Hallyday as his special adviser to the US and to Canadian singer Steph Carse as Canada's prime minister. In reality, the prime minister is Stephen Harper.

At one point in the conversation, Audette tells Mrs Palin that he enjoys hunting and loves 'killing those animals'.

We should go hunting together,' she replies. 'I think we could have a lot of fun together as we're getting work done. We could kill two birds with one stone that way.'

Audette then responds that they should not invite MrCheney along, referring to a 2006 incident in which the vice-president accidentally shot a friend with buckshot while quail hunting.

'I'll be a careful shot,' she says.

Playing off Mrs Palin's much-mocked comment in an early television interview that she had insights into foreign policy because 'you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska,' the caller tells her: 'You know we have a lot in common also, because except from my house I can see Belgium.'

She replies: 'Well, see, we're right next door to different countries that we all need to be working with, yes.'

Mrs Palin praises Mr Sarkozy throughout the call and also mentions his wife Carla Bruni, a model-turned-songwriter.

'You know, I look forward to working with you and getting to meet you personally and your beautiful wife,' Mrs Palin says. 'Oh my goodness, you've added a lot of energy to your country with that beautiful family of yours.'

Mr Sarkozy has three children with his previous two wives and Ms Bruni has a child from a previous relationship.

The comedian tells Mrs Palin, as Mr Sarkozy, that Ms Bruni is 'so hot in bed' and then informs her that Ms Bruni has written a song for her about Joe the Plumber called 'Du rouge a levres sur une cochonne' - which actually means 'lipstick on a pig'.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama derided his Republican challenger John McCain's call for change in Washington as 'lipstick on a pig,' days after Mrs Palin made a lipstick joke at the Republican convention.

The McCain-Palin campaign then released an ad implying Obama was calling Palin a pig with that remark.

He then asks her if Joe the Plumber is her husband, and adds, 'we have the equivalent of Joe the Plumber in France. It's called Marcel, the guy with bread under his armpit.'

Joe the Plumber is an Ohio man who has gained fame after MrMcCain used him as an example of an everyday American concerned about Obama's tax plan.

Audette tells the Alaska governor that he loved the 'documentary' made about her, and referred to a pornographic movie made by Hustler magazine founder Larry Flynt featuring a Palin lookalike.

Remorse over hoax

She answers tentatively, 'Oh, good, thank you, yes.' The callers then reveal the prank and identify themselves and their radio station.

'Oh, have we been pranked?' Mrs Palin asks, before handing the phone to an aide who ends the call.

Later, Audette expressed some remorse for the hoax.

'I hope we won't have a one-way ticket to Guantanamo Bay,' he said.

The duo of Audette and Sebastien Trudel has also played pranks on Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger, Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates and Britney Spears.

Obama campaign spokesman Robert Gibbs, commenting on the prank, said: 'I'm glad we check out our calls before we hand the phone to Barack Obama.'

AP