If SNL with McCain was not funny enough, many people are tuning into the tape below where Sarah Palin speaks to French President Nicolas Sarkozy in what turned out to be a prank call from a Quebec radio station. In the call, Sarkozy speaks about his sex life and shooting animals with Palin, who states that she might be president in eight years. (A curious statement since McCain will not run again in four years. The only person hoping for a two-term run in this election is Obama).
I find these crank calls to be juvenile. What makes it news is that this campaign is so poorly run that a vice presidential candidate can be reached directly by anyone speaking in a french accent and claiming to be a head of state. It is also astonishing that Palin fell for a conversation with so many obvious indicators that the call was a prank.
Palin was speaking with comedian Marc-Antoine Audette and the interview is set to air Monday on a Quebec radio station.
When Audette tells the Republican in a strong French accent that he can see her as president, she laughs and says: “Maybe in eight years.”
The call is full of obvious indicators that it was a joke that Palin completely misses and appears perfectly clueless that she is discussing bizarre things with the head of a country. He refers to French singer Johnny Hallyday as his special adviser to the United States and to Canadian singer Steph Carse as Canada’s prime minister. Faux Sarkozy tells Palin that he enjoys hunting and loves “killing those animals.”
Without missing a beat, Palin responds “We should go hunting together, 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 insists that Cheney not be invited, but Palin assured him “I’ll be a careful shot.”
Ok, maybe that would not appear too strange, but then he starts to make fun of Palin’s “I can see Russia from my house” takeoff on SNL. He notes “You know we have a lot in common also, because except from my house I can see Belgium.” Again, Palin is clueless and says “Well, see, we’re right next door to different countries that we all need to be working with, yes.”
Palin praises Sarkozy’s wife, “You know, I look forward to working with you and getting to meet you personally and your beautiful wife. Oh my goodness, you’ve added a lot of energy to your country with that beautiful family of yours.”
Palin continues even after the comedian tell her that Bruni is “so hot in bed” and then informs her that 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.”
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.”
He even refers to the pornographic film “Nailin’ Palin” by Larry Flint as a “documentary” that he loved to watch. She responds “Oh, good, thank you, yes.”
The comedians then reveal the prank and Palin quickly hands off the phone stating “Oh, have we been pranked?”
The campaign has put the best face on the obvious embarrassing glitch in their security. They note, correctly, that others have fallen for pranks calls: “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.” It must have been pretty “mild.”
The problem is that I doubt many world leaders would have remained on the phone as the caller spoke of his sex life, porno films, and seeing Belgium from his home.
The tape is now available of various sites, click here and here and here.
For the full story, click here.
I after 8 years of the most ridiculous “French-bashing” from the Republican party, I find this more delicious than a whole kilo of Freedom Fries.
rcampbell,
I understand your position and commend you for your ability to feel compassion for such a despicable woman. Yours is an admirable personal trait to which we should all aspire.
However, the dreadful consequences of this woman obtaining high office necessitates all fair, legal, and ethical means to continue exposing her poor traits, which are diametrically opposed the goodness demonstrated by people such as yourself, to ensure that she receives the proper amount of ridicule to prevent her from obtaining federal office (at least).
I admit to not liking the only program you mentioned that I have seen, in my case, the original Candid Camera. I have not heard of the other programs and I must further admit to not having previously known what the term “punk’d” meant, until yesterday.
>This phone call definitively confirmed Ms. Palin’s unprecedented >and embarrassing incompetence.
LEO
Your comment mirrors my wife’s. My comments more reflect my own personal quirks than any defense of the Governor.
I just so abhor the thought of a public embarrassment–whether my own or anyone else’s–that listening to this thing gave me the creeps. I hate practical jokes, surprise parties, Candid Camera, etc. I can’t watch that Aston Kuchar show “Punk’d” for the same reason. I can’t even bring myself to watch the cable show, Curb Your Enthusiasm with Larry David, because I’m more put off by some of what he says than he is.
It’s absolutely true that anytime she steps into another bucketful of controversy or mis-speaks, it helps her and Grampy lose and that’s a very good thing.
LEO is right. Not only is she so incompetant as to accept the call and make the statements she did (Republican arrogance has no limits, rears its head in every venue it seems), but she can’t even put together a staff that is capable enough to serve her.
Clear evidence Republicans are incapable of governing. Eight years of war with nothing to show for it, eight years of out of control corporate plundering of the country, and get this: they aren’t even closer to banning abortion, gay marriage, stem cells, etc. They can’t even fix the stupid stuff they fret and wring thier hands over. What I call true “faith based government”: hoping it all turns out OK in spite of themselves.
Look at the McCain campaign itself: bungling, ill advised, not prepared, no message, etc. McCain is a decent enough guy, but if he can’t even run a campaign like a decades experienced politician, how can he run something as complex and powerful as the Executive Branch? Seeing Palin by his side makes it very clear; he’s not even in charge of his own campaign.
But people will vote for Palin because she is just like them: ignorant, stupid, and incapable of governing themselves.
rcampbell,
I adamantly disagree. This phone call definitively confirmed Ms. Palin’s unprecedented and embarrassing incompetence.
The concern any reasonable thinking person should have with Ms. Palin’s placement in any of the high offices of government is that she is so unintelligent that she would be an easy target for international blackmail.
I am by no means a fan of Gov. Palin’s. I could fill this post with my opinions on just how bad this choice was. However, I am even less a fan of embarrassing people, particularly in public. I found this prank in extremely poor taste on the part of the two Canadian radio show hosts. I was equally appalled to see this aired repeatedly on American TV. I think it showed a level of disrespect for the President of France and the Governor of Alaska that was far over the top.