Resignation? What About Something More Severe?

Republicans, including Governor Matt Blunt, are now calling conditionally for Scott Muschany to resign his House seat, following the news that he had "deviate sexual intercourse" with a minor against her will:

Other Republicans conditioned their denouncements of Muschany on whether the allegations are proven.

"If there is a shred of truth to these allegations, then he should resign immediately," Gov. Matt Blunt said in a written statement.

Quite a profile in courage.  But it's worth noting that the talk emerging from the mouths of Matt Blunt and others is much less tough now than it was just a little more than a month ago.­ ­ Back then, the Governor was explaining his disappointment over a ruling that kept people like Muschany from receiving the death penalty:

“Violent sex crimes against children are among the worst crimes that any criminal could commit. Child predators attack the innocent and defenseless, and the pain they inflict is permanent - in many cases physically and in all cases emotionally,” he said. “I am extremely disappointed in the Court’s decision not to allow the most serious punishment, both as a matter of justice and deterrence to protect our children from vile sexual predators.”

Not quite the same sort of rhetoric we're hearing today in the face of the Muschany incident, is it?

To be fair, I'm sure that Blunt never actually intended to support the death penalty for Republican child rapists, so charges of hypocrisy are probably unfounded.