UPDATE from the Chicago Tribune:

The team behind a plan to open Chicago's first public high school aimed at gay and lesbian students pulled the plug Tuesday, faced with criticism from Mayor Richard Daley and some ministers and an internal split about whether a revamped version "watered down" the vision

Click here for more info and leave your comments about if you think this was a good or bad idea.

Who are your picks for local and national elections? I am looking forward to your phone calls, blog comments, and voice messages. Garrard McClendon Live! will be on throughout the election night with CLTV News and continuous election coverage.

GML call in line -  630-575-TALK (8255).  Blog me at www.CLTV.com/gml.  Leave a message on the GML-VLINE - 630-574-3232.

Who are you voting for on Tuesday? Tell me and I will share your picks with viewers on GML.

You thought your favorite sitcom was coming on, but the Democratic candidate for president bought the time slot and wowwed viewers with a dazzling 30 minute infomercial stumping on networks with cinematography rivaling Hollywood. Was the money and time worth it? I think so. Obama continues to show that he is a formidible force of nature in the political world.

Call it pompous, conceited, confident, or "humble," Obama spares no expense in getting the message out to potential Barack backers. Senator John McCain should have countered by spending $3 mil to do the same. The film may be the tipping point. Senator, lawyer, organizer, father, husband, candidate, and diplomat, Barack Obama shows us that excellence and hope is just a vote away.

I will not tolerate Black women dying over poverty, broken health care, and racism. The Black female death rate is twice that of White women. The sad news is that Black women have a tougher time with breast cancer than other ethnic groups. The American Cancer Society and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organizations do great work at raising money for the cure. But inadequate facilities and late diagnosis can plague the chances of a black woman beating breast cancer.

Read the Chicago Tribune article.

Universal Int'l (1958)

You must be joking. Parents and students trying to sabotage other students by sending nasty and exaggerated letters to college admissions' offices? Concentrate on getting your own child (or self) into school. You don't have to bother others.

How big of a loser must you be to sit down, calculate, and produce a letter that condemns other students who are seeking to be admitted to a university? This is sick. Admission by slanderous cancellation is sinful. Competition is tough on high school seniors thinking about college, but those losers - parents and students producing hate letters to admissions offices - should work harder in school, or choose a college that isn't quite as competitive. Get a life, get a clue, but quit hating on students who may have higher grades or more extra-curriculars. We all have to compete, so "Man Up ...or Woman Up!" 

The middle school teacher is the most disrespected professional in education. We ask them to be able to deal with students who are leaving childhood, but aren't yet young adults. We ask them to be specialists in their area of teaching and to experts on the perils of puberty, jealousy, self-esteem, and name-calling.

Now we ask them to gain an endorsement in their subject area for 6th,7th and 8th grade. Shouldn't a "major" detail like this have taken place while in their teacher education programs? Are middle school teachers the "fall-back" teachers who were undecided about elementary or high school?

According to NCLB, you must be certified, with a bachelor's degree, teaching in the area of your major. Don't tell me we have social studies majors teaching science! I would be insulted and in mourning for our students.

Who's your choice for Congress? See the 6th Congressional District Ads:

Peter Roskam and Jill Morgenthaler.

I'll have both candidates on tonight's Garrard McClendon Live.

                        Photo: Courtesy/Spider Lilies - Film Zero Chou ( 2007)

Spider Lilies, The Crying Game, Brokeback Mountain, Kiss of the Spider Woman. These films give us a glimpse of gay - lesbian lifestyles. But let's face it, unless you are gay or lesbian, you are clueless as to what surfaces throughout the course of the day for a homosexual. 

So, should gays and lesbians have separate schools? Chicago Public Schools think so. They say that safety is the issue and that students who are open or closed about their personal choices have a much tougher time getting accepted and living a daily life of security while in school. No one deserves to be mistreated while in school, but should we build a separate high school for every group that wants one? Girls aren't always safe in co-ed schools: so should we segregate all schools? Any school that has bullies isn't safe either. Shouldn't the focus be on ridding a school of violent bullies, regardless of the lifestyles and diversified populations in the school?

Gay - Lesbian Public Schools in Chicago. What are your thoughts?

Is Dan Seals - the truth, or a "face man"? Can he overcome his loss to Mark Kirk back in 2006? Candidate for Congress, Dan Seals, joins me on Garrard McClendon Live. Call the show...talk to Dan.     630-575-TALK (8255).

Watch it at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. - Wednesday, October 8th, 2008 on CLTV. 

Photo: Zbigniew Bzdak

On the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, Senator Barack Obama will accept the nomination, deliver a speech, and continue his quest toward becoming America's next top model -- I mean President. Is there substance in his change movement? What about policy over politics? What would you like Mr. Obama to improve in this country over the next 4 years?

Do you think the Democratic Party is unified? Did Hillary trump or stump on Tuesday night? Can the democratics really beat John McCain and the Republican juggernaut?

Was Hillary Rodham Clinton's speech -- too good? Was she stumping for Obama or campaigning for 2012? I did like the speech...her metaphors and stories were memorable, especially the Harriet Tubman story, the slogans, and the Twin Cities remark about Bush and McCain. What were your thoughts on Hillary at the DNC?

The after-parties in Denver are going to be obscene...all of those democrats in one city for a whole week. Howard Dean, Alexi Giannoulis, Emil Jones, Jr., Jesse Jackson , Jr., and Michelle Obama are headlining tonight. Will you be watching? Is Obama your presidential candidate?

If you live in Illinois, you know the name: Roland Burris. The CEO of Burris & Lebed Consulting, Burris served as Comptroller and Attorney General of the State of Illinois. Hear his views on Obama/McCain and Vice Presidential candidates tonight on Garrard McClendon Live. Questions for Mr. Burris? Please ask by calling 630-575-TALK at 6:30 p.m. or post a comment below.

I'm the sheriff and I'm throwing myself in jail. With sagging clothes and those Godforsaken red plastic slippers, Sheriff Mark Curran assumes the humiliation of an offender But he can go home anytime he wants. Will he really get a taste of what living conditions are really like? Will he eat the same food? Did they clean the cells this week so that the sheriff would say, "The conditions are great for me."

Reverend and Senator James Meeks is on Garrard McClendon Live! So is Alderwoman Freddrenna Lyle and maybe Mary Mitchell from the Sun-Times. Post your questions or comments and we may be able to get them to our guests during the show. 

Should CPS students boycott schools because of poor funding? Or should they follow the superintendent and board president, by attending on the first day?

The punch line - "Go to school, but don't go to school." What?

Aldermen say go to school, but the preachers say don't go. If I'm a parent with a child in CPS, what should I do? What will you do?

As the Bud Billiken Parade ends, the Parade of Reverend begins. From what I understand, there are over 75 ministers in line to launch the  historical first day of school boycott. Will they do it - for real? Or is this just a threat to get Arne Duncan and Gov. Blagojevich at the table?

I must admit folks, Rev. and Sen. Meeks is getting more convincing every day. And he's gaining momentum with a nationally recognized minister. Post comments now.

All eyes on Meeks!  Meeks and Drastic Measures May WorkHe is getting plenty of media coverage especially in light of the downtown rally bringing more cameras and microphones out than earlier events. Rev. Acree, a guest on Garrard McClendon Live, stated that nobody else is offering any better solutions for equalizing the funding playing field. The website, www.SaveOurSchoolsNow.com , is truning up the heat on this issue by telling parents to keep their children out of school on the first day and beyond, until an equitable solution manifests. Could this be likened to the bus boycotts of the South? Instead of Little Rock Nine needing troops to enter a school, Meeks is saying, "stay away on the first day."

Gov with a Speed Gun
I've seen it all. Blagojevich holding a press conference on the expressway. He pledges to put up cameras so aggressive, that if you're photographed over the speed limit, you will be ticketed. Everybody is going to break the law, at least until the tickets start arriving in the mail. I won't admit to driving above the speed limit, but I will say that I keep up with the traffic.

All Chicago Public School Students: Don't go to your school on first day, go to New Trier! That's what Rev. Meeks says, and Rev. Acree says don't go to school at all. Yes, the school funding formula is terrible, but what message are we sending children? Are the reverends equating this to Little Rock Nine?

I like Reverend Senator Meeks. He is tenacious, smart, politically savvy, articulate, cares for people, and knows his scripture. 

We invited him on the show to discuss his proposal to have CPS students stay away from CPS for the first day of school - and, instead, go to New Trier, a much wealthier district. Hopefully he will be a guest on the show in the near future.

What I want Meeks to explain is the reason for keeping children out of school for a day.

Granted, New Trier, Neuqua Valley, Naperville High School and many other academic fortresses outside of Chicago are doing extremely well. These schools have high enrollment, high test scores, high graduation rates, and scores of National Merit Finalists, Honor Society Members, and Ivy League prospects. Is it because they have a higher per pupil spending ratio?

Senator Meeks - what about Walter Payton, Whitney Young, Lane Tech, and Northside College Prep? Aren't these public schools? Magnets, yes. Public, yes. Are you blaming wealthy suburbs for their impressive schools? If $750,000 homes can raise more tax money, shouldn't they have better schools? What is Rev. Senator Meeks' proposal for the Illinois funding formula?

Chicago, Winnetka, and Northfield, do you agree or disagree with Senator Meeks' proposal?