What price treason?

Next week, presumably, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation of Plamegate will reach its conclusion.

If, as widely expected in the Capitol, Karl Rove and "Scooter" Libby, and perhaps more top henchmen of the Bush junta, get indicted, and convicted, what price should they pay?

Americablog argues that the underlying crime is treason against the United States in time of war, in that the petty revenge orchestrated by these traitors against regime critic Joe Wilson endangered an intelligence asset - his wife. Let the dishonor and cowardice of going after a man's wife go for a moment, if you can; the question is what punishment should be meted out.

We're told every day that this is a new paradigm, that due to the "War on Terror" we need to sacrifice our civil liberties, invade sundry countries, and what not else. But when it comes to punishing dissenters, it seems, all wingnuts read from the same script - no big deal, say they. Pencil-pusher, say they; she deserved it, say they.

I disagree. In time of war, traitors should be swinging at the end of a rope, along with their apologists.