                                       unscaledHeight:Number):void
     {
         // figure out backgroundColor
+		// FIXME mcho: need to define a style to use for background color. Right now
+		// we hard code to white
         var backgroundColor:uint;
         var drawBackground:Boolean = true;
         var downColor:* = getStyle("downColor");

                
                backgroundColor = alternatingColors[itemIndex % alternatingColors.length];
            }
            else
            {
                // don't draw background if it is the contentBackgroundColor. The
                // list skin handles the background drawing for us.
                drawBackground = false;
            }
        }
        
        // draw backgroundColor

        var viewWidth:Number  = unscaledWidth  - paddingLeft - paddingRight;
        var viewHeight:Number = unscaledHeight - paddingTop  - paddingBottom;

		var vAlign:Number;
		if (verticalAlign == "top")
			vAlign = 0;
		else if (verticalAlign == "bottom")
			vAlign = 1;
		else // if (verticalAlign == "middle")
			vAlign = 0.5;
		
        // measure the label component
		// text should take up the rest of the space width-wise, but only let it take up
		// its measured textHeight so we can position it later based on verticalAlign
		var labelWidth:Number = Math.max(viewWidth, 0);	
        var labelHeight:Number = 0;

        if (label != "")
        {
