President Obama could have affirmed his committment to reducing the deficit in half without any time frame at all.  He could have affirmed his commitment to reducing the deficit in half by some point that would occur late in his (assumed) second term.  Both options would have been politically safe.

Instead, he commits to reducing the deficit by half before the end of his first term.  Not only is this a bold commitment, it is politically risky.  President Obama has now left himself vulnerable to an obvious attack by his future rivals should he fail in this commitment.  Obviously, he is aware of this risk and has performed his own political calculus that justifies taking this position.  Nonetheless, as note is taken of the GOP mockery of today's summit, one might also hope that more will note the boldness of the president's commitment.

Oh yeah, he also committed to working towarad a world without nuclear weapons.  Anyone else feeling a different political wind in the air?