Keith Koffler writes...

...in Politico, "Obama Begins Move to the Middle":

If [Robert] Gibbs is purposely picking fights with the left, it’s not too surprising. In fact it’s consistent with the White House effort to position Obama closer to the center — where he traditionally needs to be for a reelection victory in 2012.

That’s where former President Bill Clinton went after the voters threw the congressional Democrats out of power in 1994. He won reelection by a comfortable margin.

Now Obama, excoriated by conservatives as a free spender who wants to socialize medicine and coddle U.S. adversaries, is starting to remake his image in the same fashion.

I don't think Gibbs -- or the rest of the administration, for that matter -- makes too many mistakes. (Remember that whole "No Drama Obama" stuff? They're a disciplined bunch.)

Koffler also writes:

First, [Gibbs] speculated on TV that Democrats might lose the House, an inexcusable blunder because it is his job to omit the truth — not lie, just omit the truth — when the truth hurts.

I don't think that was a mistake, either. I think Gibbs was trying to motivate Democrats to turn out in November. And as for his recent comments, how better to bring back independents than by picking a fight with the "professional left?"