Republican U.S. presidential hopeful Rick Perry says his memory lapse in the latest debate may humanize him, not torpedo his campaign.
During Wednesday's debate in Michigan, the Texas governor said he would eliminate three agencies from the federal government, but could only name two -- commerce and education.
"I 'stepped in it' is what my wife would have said," Perry said Thursday on CBS' "The Early Show."
"All of us make mistakes. I'm a human being," Perry said. "And the issue here is that I had a lapse of memory. So many federal agencies were coming to mind that I forgot the one I was trying to think of, which is the Energy Department."
Perry admits he's not the best debater but called himself "an individual of substance when it comes to creating an environment where jobs can be, in fact, the focus of the entrepreneur class out there that are creating those jobs that Americans really need now."
He told "The Early Show" he recognized that his latest stumble is fodder for political strategists who say his candidacy has been weakened because of his miscues.
"But the fact is one error is not going to make or break a campaign," he said.
Perry pledged to appear at a CBS News-National Journal debate on foreign policy Saturday in South Carolina but didn't commit to other debates. His aides have indicated Perry may skip some of the upcoming debates.