     
     /**
      *  @private
+     *  The width of the left gutter between the edge of the text field 
+     *  and the text. 
+     */
+    mx_internal static const TEXT_LEFT_GUTTER:int = 2;
+    
+    /**
+     *  @private
      *  The padding to be added to textHeight to get the height
      *  of a TextField that can display the text without clipping.
      */

        if (useTightTextBounds)
        {
            // offset the positions by the left gutters and the top offset
            this.x = x - StyleableTextField.TEXT_WIDTH_PADDING/2;
            this.y = y - tightTextTopOffset;
        }
        else

        {
            // return the x position of the text within the text field.  we calculate this value
            // using text field's x, offset by the left gutter
            return x + StyleableTextField.TEXT_LEFT_GUTTER;
        }
        else
        {
