Lieberman: Punish U.S. Officials Over Airline Plot

Sens. John McCain and Joe Lieberman favor punishing government officials whose failures let a would-be bomber board a Detroit-bomber plane on Christmas.

But neither senator is saying he wants any official fired.

Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, points to breakdowns at the State Department and the National Counterterrorism Center. He says people failed to take steps to identify the suspected bomber as a threat and revoke his visa.

McCain, R-Ariz., says the Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 should be treated like an enemy combatant and not be tried in a civilian court.

The lawmakers appeared on CNN's "State of the Union."