By SHEILAH PEPPER
The Gazette Staff
Austin: Veteran Plano lawmaker Brian McCall, a leader in the move to depose Speaker Tom Craddick last year, has announced that he had decided not to seek re-election to the Texas House.
The moves cones as a surprise to some, because McCall, a republican, had obtained one of the most powerful positions in the House. As chairman of the Calendars Committee, McCall determined which bills were heard in the House and in what order. He was credited with helping North Texas lawmakers advance the region's priorities.
McCall, 51, said he is looking at other opportunities because it is time to do something new after 19 years in the House.
"When I took my first oath of office, Bill Clinton was the governor of Arkansas and George W. Bush had never run for state political office," said McCall, a businessman and investor.
In other political news, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison abruptly changed course on Nov. 13th, saying she will remain in the U.S. Senate through the 2010 Republican primary while running for governor against Rick Perry.
The decision came amid some alarm among top Hutchison supporters about the direction of the campaign, and it scuttles political plans for several of her fellow Texas republicans.
Hutchison, who said three months ago that she intended to quit by November, said the issues in Washington are too important for her to leave right now. She singled out the fight on health care and the climate-change legislation. She said she feels a newly appointed freshman senator could not bring the needed impact to these battles that a more experienced senator can exercise.
Recent have begun showing Gov. Perry with a double-digit lead. The senator said she would leave office after the primary no matter who wins. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is among those who have expressed interest in the Senate seat. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott may be a likely candidate to replace Dewhurst.
Elsewhere on the political scene, Texas Republicans have denounced the decision to move the 9/11 suspects to New York City for a civilian trial.
Texas Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress strongly denounced the decision by the Obama administration to bring five alleged 9/11 conspirators, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, the New York. Sen. John Cornyn said, "These terrorists planned and executed the mass murder of thousands of innocent Americans. Treating them like common criminals is unconscionable." Cornyn added that the Sept 11th attacks were "an act of war." and should be treated as such.
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, a former federal prosecutor and the key Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, agreed with Cornyn. McCaul added that the move will create tremendous security concerns in New York City.
Sen. Hutchison blasted the administration for giving "terrorists the same right as American citizens." She warned that a civilian trial will jeopardize intelligence sources and methods. "The safety of our citizens should not be undermined in order to win international applause," she stated.
Rep. Lamar Smith of San Antonio, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, argued that the suspects could demand protection under the Fourth Amendment and make legal arguments regarding Miranda warnings - the right to counsel before interrogation - that they could not make before a military tribunal. Smith said, "The administration should not prioritize the rights to terrorists over the rights of Americans to be safe and secure."
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