TV Blitz Will Test Obama's Star Power

President Barack Obama will appear on five news programs on Sunday, followed by a comedy show Monday night, in what is turning into a wall-to-wall bid for support of his embattled effort to overhaul the US health-care system. The president's heavy media schedule raises questions about whether his ubiquitous presence will dilute his effectiveness as a pitchman. Previous administrations have reserved presidential appearances for big occasions, compared with the current White House, which views President Obama as its strongest policy advocate. "I don't dismiss this idea that if at some point you fire your best weapon and it doesn't work, what do you do next? But you come to the point in a debate where you're not worried about the next battle," said former Clinton press secretary Joe Lockhart. President Obama has granted 117 media interviews since he took office, 66 on television, according to Mark Knoller of CBS Radio, a veteran White House correspondent who has tallied presidential TV appearances over the past 15 years. White House officials said they aren't worried that voters may be turned off, or that any break in the appearances might suggest the president is backing off.