We have often pointed to “comedy gold” moments of dueling between Jake Tapper, perhaps the most able and fierce combatant in the White House press corps, and the entirely overmatched Robert Gibbs. This exchange perhaps made the leap from comedy to tragedy:

JAKE TAPPER: Polls indicate that the American people are not—or a plurality of the American people are not with the president on health care reform. He’s obviously trying to change that by campaigning.

ROBERT GIBBS: Well, I don’t want to quibble with—I mean, again, I think . . .

TAPPER: A majority of the American people are not with the president on health care reform, the bill that—the legislation he’s trying to get through Congress. How would you say it?

GIBBS: Well, I think if you look at—I think, not to mix networks here, but (pointing to Chuck Todd of NBC) I think if —I think your poll read . . .

CHUCK TODD, NBC NEWS: They disapproved—more people disapproved of the president’s handling of health care than approved, which I think is what Jake was talking about.

GIBBS: OK, that’s clarified the question, because the reason I was quibbling with the phrasing of the question—not to get into the phrasing of polling—but in your poll, if you asked, just straight up, here’s what health care reform—here’s what you get, here’s what it costs, what—the number was 58/38, something like that.

TAPPER: Right. Theoretically, they’re with what you think you’re pushing, what you say you’re pushing, but they’re not with the president.

GIBBS: I don’t know if it’s theoretical, but—go ahead.

TAPPER: The polls aren’t where you want them to be. Would you quibble with that?

GIBBS: On some of those questions, I would not quibble with it.

TAPPER: OK . . . Why not? Why aren’t they working?

GIBBS: Why are they—why do I not agree?

TAPPER: No. If the president is pushing for something that—that the American people when you poll independently support…

GIBBS: Right.

TAPPER: . . . why are they not with the president?

GIBBS: Look, I think part of it is some of these misconceptions. I don’t doubt that. I think they’re—I do think people have questions. I think that’s why—I mean, the president isn’t out doing town hall meetings just for his health. I mean, he wants to—I think he understands the need to address concerns or misconceptions out there. I think—again, I think the president, whether it’s the NBC poll, certainly other polling will demonstrate that people want to see health care reform this year. They want to see legislation that cuts costs. They want to see legislation that provides accessibility of coverage, that has insurance reforms. And that’s what the president will continue to talk.

TAPPER: Is the fact that the American people are not with the president right now—does that indicate that this pushback, whether it’s the viral e-mail you guys sent out today, or the reality check Web site you set up or whatever, does it indicate that you’re pushback is late?

GIBBS: I don’t think so. Again, I—I—largely because your question was based on polling—polling is a snapshot in time. It’s—the debate continues and we’ll see whether numbers move or change as a result of the continuing debate.

BILL PLANTE, CBS NEWS: But doesn’t the fact that you’ve started pushing back indicate that you realize that the initiative is in trouble?

GIBBS: Well, one of the reasons we’ve pushed back is because of those misconceptions. Have some of those misconceptions contributed to the poll numbers? I—I don’t doubt that. But at the same time, I mean, there’s a little cause and effect here, but we’re not going to stop pushing back on the misconceptions. Whether or not the polling shows one thing or another, the president, again, strongly believes that, and has for years, that it’s—it’s better to address what people’s concerns are and take them on head on.

And there is more, but you get the point.

We have finally reached the point where the Washington press corps senses blood in the water, a breakdown in the veneer of White House competence and sense of command. When no less than three reporters are arguing with Gibbs as to whether the White House is losing the debate, you know the White House is losing the debate.

And worse still for the Obama team, the press is now becoming focused on the “process” story—how did the White House mess this up and why were they unprepared for the public’s angry response? We have long since left the “Obama wants to provide health care for all Americans” blather and are well on to the “Obama on defense” story line. For an administration struggling to explain what it is they want to pass, this is bad news.