US vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin has fallen prey to a Canadian prankster when he called her impersonating French President Nicolas Sarkozy and got her to accept an invitation to hunt baby seals.
In an over-the-top French accent, a member of the Quebec comedy duo The Masked Avengers, famous for tricking celebrities and politicians including Mr Sarkozy himself, asked if Governor Palin would take him on a hunting trip by helicopter, and then in French said they could also go kill baby seals.
An apparently oblivious Mrs Palin said she thought that would be fun. ‘We could have a lot of fun together as we're getting work done. We could kill two birds with one stone that way.’
The prankster also got Governor Palin, Republican John McCain's running mate in Tuesday's US presidential election, to reveal a potential ambition for the top job in Washington.
Asked if she would like to eventually become president, the Alaska governor responded, ‘Well, maybe in eight years.’
Mrs Palin's office quickly admitted they were hoodwinked.
‘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,’ Palin spokeswoman Tracy Schmitt said in an e-mail.
During the phone call, which was played for a Montreal radio program, Mrs Palin complimented the fake President Sarkozy on his beautiful wife, Carla Bruni, and asked him to give her a big hug for her.
‘You added a lot of energy to your country with that beautiful family of yours,’ Mrs Palin said.
The prankster responded by complimenting Mrs Palin on a notorious Hustler porn film Nailin' Paylin, which he said was a documentary of her life.
‘Oh good, thank you,’ Mrs Palin said.
Governor Palin also reassured the fake President Sarkozy when he said he would not want to bring Vice President Dick Cheney on a hunting trip. Mr Cheney once accidentally shot a hunting partner.
‘I'll be a careful shot,’ she promised.
Immigration status
Earlier, Barack Obama's campaign returned a financial donation of $265 (€208) from a Kenyan aunt who lives in Boston after questions were raised over her immigration status.
Aides said Senator Obama had not been in touch with his late father's sister, Zeituni Onyango, for at least four years.
They questioned reporting about his aunt’s residency status so close to Tuesday's election.
Foreigners cannot donate money to US presidential candidates. But aides refused to say whether returning the money was an acknowledgement that the aunt was an illegal alien.
Mr Obama's chief strategist David Axelrod would not comment on the aunt's immigration status but said Mr Obama last met her for sure at his Senate inauguration ceremony in 2004.
Mr Axelrod ascribed ulterior motives to the revelations after The Associated Press reported that Ms Onyango had remained living in Boston despite having her request for asylum rejected by an immigration judge four years ago.
In a separate statement, Obama spokesman Bill Burton said: ‘Senator Obama has no knowledge of her status but obviously believes that any and all appropriate laws be followed.’
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement refused to confirm or deny the report about Ms Onyango, who is part of a large extended family on Senator Obama's father's side spread across Kenya, the US and Europe.
Mark Salter, a senior advisor to rival John McCain said the Republican would not comment on the story.
