Two notorious Quebec comedians have pranked Sarah Palin, tricking the Republican vice-presidential nominee into thinking she was speaking with French President Nicolas Sarkozy during a Saturday afternoon phone call.
"Oh my God, seriously, it's probably the biggest we've ever done," Marc-Antoine Audette, a member of comedy duo The Masked Avengers, told CTV.ca Saturday afternoon.
During the nearly seven-minute chat, the conversation ranges from politics to hunting with vice-president Dick Cheney.
The topics also touch on Palin's political future -- a sensitive topic for some of John McCain's campaign staffers, who have suggested Palin is already looking at a presidential run in the next four years.
"I see you as a president one day, too," says one of the pranksters to Palin.
"Maybe in eight years," she responds.
The duo, who have a regular show on Montreal radio station CKOI, have also made prank calls over their 10-year history to celebrities like Bill Gates, Tiger Woods, Britney Spears and Sarkozy himself.
"We have such great respect for you," Palin tells the Sarkozy impersonator during the conversation. "John McCain and I, we love you and thank you ..."
The impersonator also says he has been closely following the U.S. election through his special advisor "Johnny Hallyday," the French pop icon. He also refers to "Canadian Prime Minister Stef Carse."
Speaking to CTV.ca, Audette later claimed that Palin "didn't know who the prime minister of Canada was." But the prankster spoke quickly during the conversation with Palin, and it's unclear whether she heard the fake name clearly. As governor of Alaska, Palin has worked closely with Canadian officials.
At another point in the chat, the impersonator says in a fake Parisian accent that the pair might use a helicopter to go hunting.
"We should go hunting together," replies Palin. "We can have a lot of fun together while we're getting work done. We could kill two birds with one stone."
But when the fake Sarkozy makes a joke that they shouldn't extend the invitation to vice-president Dick Cheney, Palin says, "I'll be a careful shot."
In 2006, Cheney accidentally shot and injured a friend during a bird hunting trip.
The conversation also touches upon Sarkozy's model-singer wife Carla Bruni.
"You've added a lot of energy to your country with that beautiful family of yours," says Palin.
"Give her a big hug for me."
Nearing the end of the conversation, the impersonator tells Palin she's been "pranked," and an aide quickly cuts off the conversation.
Later in the day, a spokeswoman for Palin emailed politico.com, a blog dedicated to U.S. politics, and confirmed that the chat had taken place.
"Gov. 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," Tracey Schmitt in the email.
Starting with persistent phone calls to Alaska, Audette said it took the duo -- which also includes Sebastien Trudel -- about four days of phone calls to Palin's handlers to finally get in touch with her.
