Mitt Romney's (most recent) political nightmare moment - in which he appeared to discredit and discard 47% of the American public – is neither the first nor the last time a politician has been caught saying something they wouldn't say in public.
Here's a rundown of six other times politicians had wished there was less recording equipment around:
GORDON BROWN AND THE "BIGOTED WOMAN"
In the run-up to the 2010 election, Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg were traipsing up and down the country trying to convince voters they were the right man to lead the UK.
During one of these hundreds of visits, it's likely each one came across at least one member of the public who expressed views they disagreed with and bitched about afterwards. However, Gordon Brown was the only one who was caught.
Here he is having a long discussion with the now infamous Gillian Duffy on Labour policy and immigration, and Gordon's less than favourable review of her:
CHRIS GRAYLING AND THE B&Bs
Prior to the same election, shadow home secretary Chris Grayling dropped himself in hot water with the equal rights community when he seemed to advocate B&B owners turning away gay customers.
"If it's a question of somebody who's doing a B&B in their own home, that individual should have the right to decide who does and who doesn't come into their house," he said.
DUBYA: "YO BLAIR"
It seems like eons ago, but during the Blair-Bush era, there was one embarrassing conversation between the two caught on microphones in St Petersburg in 2006.
After welcoming Tony Blair with a casual "Yo Blair", (or was it "Yeah Blair?") President Bush proceeds to have a conversation on anything and everything from the Middle East peace process ("Syria [needs] to tell Hezbollah to stop doing this s**t") to a new sweater Blair bought for the former President.
OBAMA AND SARKOZY ON NETANYAHU
Nicolas Sarkozy, the former President of France, was caught telling President Obama of his dislike for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, branding him a "liar" on an open mic at the G20 summit last year.
"You may be sick of him," Obama responds, " but I have to deal with him every day."
OBAMA (AGAIN) ON HIS ELECTORAL "FLEXIBILITY"
In a conversation held with Dmitri Medvedev, the Russian Prime Minister, President Obama was caught candidly telling the Russian that he would have more "flexibility" to discuss contentious issues once he had been re-elected.
A politically frank admission, yes, but not something that is best said in public.
OBAMA (ER, AGAIN) ON "GUNS AND RELIGION"
Going way back to the 2008 Democratic nomination campaign, Barack Obama was recorded at a small town Pennsylvania fundraiser condemning those who "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them... to explain away their frustrations."
Obama's comments were exposed by Huffington Post blogger Mayhill Fowler, and briefly damaged his chances of nomination. Needless to say, it worked out ok for him in the end.