Senate Debate Roundup: GOV'T SECRETS/TERROR TECHNIQUES

Missouri's "other" Senator, Kit Bond introduced legislation on August 2nd that would criminalize the disclosure of classified information.

This is what Bond said back in January after the New York Times revealed the potentially illegal use of wiretaps on Americans by the White House:

"Our intelligence personnel were very, very disturbed and disappointed by media revelations of hitherto classified information," Bond said. "Several people said the recent revelations have blown the cover on some very significant sources who are now targeted for assassination."

So the question was posed to the U.S. Senate candidates friday: Do you support Sen. Bond's legislation?

McCaskill said it is important to hold government employees accountable if they leak classified information, but she said "we must be very, very careful." She said the freedom of this nation has a whole lot to do with a free press.

"We need to make sure to never get close to the line of criminalizing the behavior of journalists who are reporting on what they have learned. And that's the fear I have in the frenzy surrounding this legislation," McCaskill said.

Senator Talent announced his support for a bunch of different tactics the Bush administration is using, including:

*capturing and interrogating foreign terrorists
*monitoring international phone calls involving terrorists, regardless if a judge approves
*trying terrorists in military tribunals rather than in civilian courts

McCaskill never explicitly said it, but seemed leery about Bond's legislation. Talent, on the other hand, talked tough, but never staked out a specific position on Bond's legislation.

Talent did say, "We need to be concerned first about the freedom and security of our own people rather than engaging in technicalities regarding the terrorists."

When it comes to interrogating terrorists, Talent said the United States needs to define the permissible tactics better. In an interview after the debate, Talent said he doesn't support anything involving "severe physical abuse," but said he does approve of tactics like "loud music or getting in the person's face."

Also after the debate, McCaskill said she favored "very tough interrogation techniques," but also the rules that follow the Geneva Conventions.