Obama Makes Speech Number 200

By: Mark Knoller
Topics: White House

(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

In announcing his nomination this morning for U.S. Surgeon General, President Obama delivered his 200th speech since taking office.

The tally is based on a CBS News count of formal remarks, statements and addresses made by Mr. Obama starting with his Inaugural address on January 20.

His news conferences and casual off-the-cuff remarks during photo ops were not counted as speeches, but his opening statements at Town Hall meetings and weekly radio/internet addresses were included.

An analysis of the 200 speeches reflects the issues on which he has placed the greatest importance:

The Economy & Stimulus Program – 48 speeches

Revamping Health Care Coverage – 16

Government Reform & Regulation - 11

Energy and Climate Change – 10

Mr. Obama has delivered one address to a Joint Session of Congress and four commencement addresses, three in the U.S. and one, last week in Moscow at the New Economic School.

He has made speeches at nine bill-signing ceremonies and eight nomination announcements.

Fourteen of his speeches have been political in nature, including remarks at eight fund-raising events for Democratic Party committees or candidates.

He's given a total of 28 speeches on foreign policy issues, most of them overseas on his five trips abroad to 14 countries.

I classify 13 speeches as ceremonial in nature, but some of them number among the 10 addresses he's made of a military nature, such as his address at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day.

By my count, the president has done 13 Town Hall meetings, including one in Strasbourg, France.

He's done three speeches on education, but at least six honoring championship sports teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Phillies and the University of Florida Gators.

Finally, more often than not, Mr. Obama used a Teleprompter at his 200 speeches. In the 140 speeches since March 10 when I started tracking his use of the Teleprompter, he used one on at least 99 occasions.

(CBS)

Mark Knoller is a CBS News White House correspondent. You can read more of his posts in Hotsheet here. You can also follow him on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/markknoller.

Mark Knoller
Mark Knoller is a CBS News White House correspondent.
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by nevadalady July 13, 2009 10:42 PM EDT: ***** you Mark. What a piece of crap excuse for journalism.; Reply to this comment

by starleo146 July 13, 2009 7:38 PM EDT

So what Mark if the President uses a teleprompter, at least when he speaks we can understand him. Mr Bush never knew how to speak, if his stumbling and mis-pronounced words count with you, he would beat President Obama hands down, finally we have a President that can make a sentence, and in his one sentence make more sense than the last President ever could. Why is so much made of President's speeches any way, we should be glad we have a President that keeps us informed of what he is doing,that is more than the last administration did, everything they did was all behind closed doors. Compared to the last administration, we should be grateful for this administration.You are da@mned if you do and dam@ned if you don't, leave the guy alone he has enough to contend with just trying to keep his campaign promises and straightening out the last administration mess

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by ReallyMeanIt July 14, 2009 11:21 AM EDT: We conservative voted for a president who got the b@lls to confront evil, not for the one that can "talk good", associated himself with terrorists, desperate to be popular and think he can walked on water.
barrack talked a lot but say nothing.