Since the attack on the USS Cole, we have no illusions what an attack on our naval vessels implies. Today in Jordan one of our ships narrowly missed being hit by a rocket or mortar, as explained here.

Unknown assailants fired at least three missiles from Jordan early Friday, with one narrowly missing a U.S. Navy ship docked at port, an attack that killed a Jordanian soldier. One missile fell close to an airport in neighboring Israel, officials said.

The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, based in Bahrain, said two American amphibious ships were docked in Aqaba when a mortar was fired toward them. The vessels later sailed out of port as a result of the attacks, U.S. Navy spokesman Lt. Cdr. Charlie Brown told The Associated Press in Bahrain.

So, what is the democrat response?

Cindy Sheehan and the anti-war crowd probably would say we are seen as imperialists and deserve to be fired at – though we have had a long and fruitful relationship with Jordan for decades now. Russ Feingold might say we need a date certain to remove all presence of America from Jordan – basically leave our allies to fend off the Islamic Fascists themselves. Dick Durbin and Ted Kennedy will probably blame Bush. Move On will say it was a US operation to make Bush look good during slipping polls (providing the missing conspiracy theory to the democrat leader’s vague claims). Bill Clinton will say he was focused, obbsessed with terrorists in Jordan and almost had them contained many times.

I want to make a point about that theoretical Move On response. It does seem that when Bush’s poll numbers drop from the continued naysaying and defeatist talk from the left, amplified by a sympathetic media, we have another round of attacks. And while the leftward fringes love to think this is some Bush ploy to bolster his support, it is clearly the act of our enemies trying to further push Bush’s support down since right now he is the one leading the charge against them. The fact that terrorists think attacks on us will gain them political support in the US is because of what the liberal fringe and media espouse. While we will not be getting out of Iraq simply because some media addicted mother wants us out – the fact the media has one hour puff pieces (hint: Anderson Cooper – now off my TV’s) gives the impression to the not so bright thugs it is time to attack us.

Well, I say stay the course in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Global War on Terror was not started by us, but we will end it. Just as we did with WW I and WW II. And the media needs to get over its fantisies about nirvana here on earth – especially were they have any concept of what their TV induced fantasy world ideals mean when translated to harsh reality. We cannot ‘talk’ terrorists into being reasonable. We have done nothing in the ME that requires the deaths of 3,000 innocent people simply on their way to work. We did not create the culture of blood thirsty islamic fascists who think women are property. Get over yourselves media, or be left behind. If need be we can get ourselves a truly objective and beneficial news media. Supply and demand. And their is very little demand for defeatism in the face of terrorism on the run.

More from NYTimes and Washington Post.

Ed Morrissey has a different take on this – which I cannot buy into yet. He sees degradation in AQ, I see a political signal to our leftward fringes. AQ could simply believe support for the GWOT is close to collapsing given Sheehan’s coverage and Feingold’s call to run away in December. They may not feel the need to die for the cause if they feel we are on the verge of giving up.