Mudslinging Disrupts Calm French Election Campaign

PARIS – France's so-far staid presidential campaign has taken a sour turn with a report that the Socialist candidate referred to President Nicolas Sarkozy as a "nasty guy."

A handful of Sarkozy's conservative UMP party allies have insisted the normally sedate Francois Hollande "publicly apologize."

Hollande's camp said the remark reported Wednesday in the daily Le Parisien was taken out of context. It said the Socialist candidate was actually imitating Sarkozy, who in 2008 called a man who refused to shake his hand a "poor jerk."

Le Parisien later provided the full context of the remark in its online edition. It said that during a recent lunch with journalists, Hollande acted as if he was Sarkozy, and said he was a "failed president" and "nasty guy" but "elect me."