Definetly a gaffe by the Michael Kinsley definition: That is, when someone accidentally tells the truth. :)

Most of what he said (and especially the stuff that people were angry about) is, in fact, common knowledge. ULA can't compete on price, the trade restrictions on Russian engines are politically motivated, most of the funding decisions are made by congress explicitly to funnel spending to their districts, and the procurement process is utterly broken.

And you can find industry experts and analysts who say all of this repeatedly and noisily. But if you're speaking for one of the players, obviously you're not allowed to admit any of it.