Barack Obama will mark his first 100 days in the White House by holding a press conference on prime-time television.

Although senior officials attempted to play down the significance of the event tomorrow, the US President plans to outline his accomplishments so far.

Buoyed by a 65 per cent approval rating, Mr Obama will use the occasion to impress on the American people the progress his administration has made in tackling the economic crisis and problems overseas.

The hour-long press conference will also be President Obama's opportunity to outline how he plans to steer the US to recovery from the worst slump since the Thirties.

He will also address the swine fever outbreak and preventative measures being taken by health authorities.

Aides say the President's first 100 days have been as productive as any since President Franklin D Roosevelt's in 1933, with the global financial crisis the defining challenge so far.

But they also admit the next 100 days could have an even greater impact on the first term of his presidency.

Over the next three months his middle-class tax cuts will begin to take effect and it will become much clearer if it has encouraged spending to boost the economy. Billions of dollars from the recovery plan will also become available, with the aim of creating two million jobs.

The Treasury Department will also hold the first auctions to purchase banks' "toxic assets".

Last month Mr Obama announced a public-private partnership to remove bad assets from the banks' balance sheets in an overhaul of the US financial system.

The success - or failure - of that effort will be crucial to the presidency, according to economists.

"The moment of truth is at hand," said Mr Obama's economic adviser Mark Zandi.

"We should see some benefit from the administration's policies in the next 100 days. If we don't, policymakers have to think about plan B - quickly."

Three of the US TV networks have agreed to show the press conference, the third this year, during the prime-time 9pm slot but Rupert Murdoch's Fox TV has decided against re-arranging its schedule.

Crime drama Lie to Me, starring British actor Tim Roth, will go out at 9pm as planned with ABC, NBC and CBS all agreeing to screen the Obama press conference.

Fox and its Right-wing hosts are among the most critical of President Obama and his policies.

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