Politics / Nicolas Sarkozy 'Vive Sarko!' Say GOP Hopefuls French prez would be left of center in US, but Republican candidates are fans By Jonas Oransky, Newser Staff Posted Sep 4, 2007 12:42 PM CDT Copied President Nicolas Sarkozy, left, talks to U.S. Senator and Republican candidate John McCain, right, during a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Thursday, July 5, 2007. Others are unidentified. (AP Photo/Patrick Kovarik, Pool) (Associated Press) See 1 more photo The American right may hate the French, but it loves Nicolas Sarkozy. Republican presidential hopefuls have put the Freedom Fries era behind them and embraced the rightish president, the AP reports—despite his occasional tough talk about the American system. Giuliani’s proud that Sarko's been dubbed “the French Rudy,” and Newt Gingrich praises “the boldest campaign in our lifetime.” Even Mitt Romney, the former missionary to France who uses the country as a generic socialist bogeyman, calls Sarko a “blood brother.” The Clinton campaign has had some fun with Mitt’s renversement: “Considering how often Governor Romney flip-flops," a spokesman said, "he'll be wearing a beret and eating baguettes on the Champs-Elysees next week." (More Nicolas Sarkozy stories.) See 1 more photo Report an error