Hot Mic Moment

“This is my last election. After my election, I have more flexibility.” A hot mike was recording when President Obama said this to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in South Korea recently. Republicans have taken the comment as a way to mobilize voters, warning them of what Obama might do without reelection pressure. The incident begs a couple questions:

• In what ways do presidents usually, like the article claims, "become more ambitious with their agendas" in their second terms?
• Do gaffes and slips like this one usually affect public perception of officials , or does it often simply blow over?
• Could this comment and his earlier "spread the wealth around" comment spell real trouble for Obama?