President Obama, this has not been a great first week in office. I say this for a variety of reasons:

Your release of terrorists from Gitmo back into their native lands to attack us once again; allowing our tax dollars to go overseas to kill unborn children (abortions); your trillion-dollar spending plan that's already out of control and not even passed yet; your so-called energy plan that will take years to implement and then cost us consumers more at the pump and other related expenses; and finally, your horrible appointment as our Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner.

Mr. President, does it really make good sense to appoint someone who can't remember to pay his own taxes?

Please, Mr. President, get on track with a more moderate approach to these very serious issues for our country. This isn't campaigning time any longer. This is the real thing and the real issues, and you have to get a handle on them and not "give away the farm," "toss the baby out with the bath water" and all the other phrases that fit this moment in time.

Don't divide us further, Mr. President. Live up to the high ideals that you profess and let actions speak louder than words. Please, don't give in to every liberal issue that exists in our nation. You can take a stronger stand against many of the positions and still maintain positive control of the White House and support of Congress.

Your actions are not heading in the best direction for our country so far. I am a very concerned citizen of our United States of America.

Jimmy Paulk

Pinehurst