I agree with your sentiment in the first part. Carrying on in the shadows does not help the situation. At the very least, regardless of whether it is true or not, it is enforcing an image that our government is weakening and the world is watching.
With that said, for the record, what the op-ed writer has done can in no way be considered treason as defined by the constitution.
The Constitution defines it specifically:
“Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.” It also later specifies that "enemies" must be countries against which Congress has formally declared war or otherwise authorized the use of force. It is one of the more specific defined offenses in the Constitution and is thus, one of the hardest crimes to prove. So unless you can get proof that this op-ed piece is specifically written to help a foreign power that we are at war with (which at this point, would only be ISIS, and that itself is a stretch), there is no chance of a treason charge.