Obama's budget tactics and allusion to SS

I can't find the article now, but Obama has pledged to reduce the deficit by half by 2012 and has identified entitlements for the elderly as a terrific problem.

Two thoughts:

1.) It's smart politically (if not economically) to blow up the deficit and then cut it in half!

2.) Maybe I'm being too hopeful on this, but Obama may be angling toward significant entitlement reform. Elsewhere, he seems to be angling toward significant education reform. As I've noted before, it would be much easier for a Democrat to push for charter schools and Social Security reforms. If so, those would be tremendous moves forward, especially for those in lower income classes.