Chris Parry
Vancouver Sun

Saturday, November 01, 2008

CREDIT: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
U.S. Republican vice-presidential nominee Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (L) and U.S. Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain (R-AZ) share a laugh at a campaign rally.

A notorious Montreal-based comedy duo named The Master Avengers has released a recording of a prank phone call made to Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, in which one of the participants pretends to be French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Palin, unaware she was speaking to a Quebec radio DJ and being recorded, talked for nearly six minutes as the conversation touched on topics such as a Hustler porn video made about her, shooting animals from helicopters, Dick Cheney's hunting ability, Sarkozy's "beautiful wife" and how the French leader could "see Belgium" from his house.

Palin's campaign spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt has confirmed in a statement that she took the call.

"Governor Palin received a phone call on Saturday from a French Canadian talk show host claiming to be French President Nicholas Sarkozy. 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.

The Master Avengers, consisting of Marc-Antoine Audette and Sebastien Trudel, have pranked celebrities many times before, including Sarkozy himself when one of the pair pretended to be Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The pair, from radio station CKOI, are planning to play the call on the air on Monday.

A full transcript of the call follows:

Assistant: This is Bexy [?].
MA: Hello, Bexy. This is Frank L'Ouvrier, I'm with President Sarkozy, on the line for Governor Palin.
Assistant: One second please, can you hold on one second please?
MA: No problem.

Assistant: Hi, I'm going to hand the phone over to her.
MA: Okay, thank you very much I'm going to put the president on the line.
Assistant: Okay, he's coming to the line.

SP: This is Sarah.
MA: Okay, Governor Palin?

SP: Hellloooo...
MA: Just hold on for President Sarkozy, one moment.
SP: Oh, it's not him yet. I always do that. I'll just have people hand it to me right when it's them.

FNS: Yes, hello, Governor Palin? Yes, hello, Mrs. Governor?
SP: Hello this is Sarah. How are you?

FNS: Fine, and you, this is Nicolas Sarkozy speaking, how are you?
SP: Oh... So good, it's so good to hear you. Thank you for calling us.

FNS: Oh, it's a pleasure.
SP: Thank you sir, we have such great respect for you, John McCain and I, we LOVE you and thank you for spending a few minutes to talk to me.

FNS: I follow your campaigns closely with my special American Advisor Johnny Hallyday, you know?
SP: Yes! Good!

FNS: Excellent! Are you confident?
SP: Very confident and we're thankful that the polls are showing that the race is tightening and--

FNS: Well I know very well that the campaign can be exhausting. How do you feel right now my dear?
SP: I feel so good. I feel like we're in a marathon and at the very end of the marathon, you get your second wind and you plow to the finish-

FNS: You see, I got elected in France because I'm real and you seem to be someone who's real as well.
SP: Yes, yeah, Nicolas. We so appreciate this opportunity.

FNS: You know, I see you as a president, one day, you too.
SP: Well... maybe in eight years. [laughs]

FNS: Well, ah, I hope for you. You know we have a lot in common because personally one of my favorite activities is to hunt too.
SP: Oh very good, we should go hunting together.

FNS: Exactly! We could go try hunting by helicopter, like you did, I never did that.
SP: [laugh]

FNS: Like we say in France, "on pourrait tuer des b