LATEST ON THE PIRATES - AT 3:12 P.M. ET: 

MOGADISHU, Somalia — The American ship captain taken hostage by pirates in the Indian Ocean jumped into the water from their drifting lifeboat in an attempt to escape early Friday, but he was quickly recaptured, a defense official said.

The standoff unfolding on the high seas off the coast of Somalia intensified Friday as American naval reinforcements moved toward the scene. There were also reports that the pirates, desperate to reach shore with their captive, had themselves called in additional vessels and men.

COMMENT:  It's pretty clear that you can't deal with piracy effectively unless you're willing to attack the pirate bases.  Will Obama, once this current situation is resolved, do it?  Well, do you recall last weekend's North Korean missile launch?  Have you noticed how tough we've been?

April 10, 2009