A gaffe..LOL In other words: blunder, mistake, error, slip, faux pas, indiscretion, impropriety, miscalculation, gaucherie, solecism; informal slip-up, howler, boo-boo, fluff, flub, blooper, goof.
Seems the truth becomes a gaffe/boo-boo when the boo-booer realizes they are getting heat for their comment. Suddenly the truth becomes a simple mistake. LMAO
Rupert Murdoch also tweets that Rick Santorum's rise in polls shows "Values do count in America."