This week’s ugly Statehouse flare-up is an unfortunate illustration of a lot that can go bad, and how little can go right, when politicians — or their proxies — resort to caustic personal attacks.

The first thing state Sen. Andrew Brenner should have done was to censure his wife, Sara Marie Brenner, for attacking Dr. Amy Acton on Facebook by saying the state health director’s description of a measure that could help reopen Ohio’s economy “feels like Hitler’s Germany.”

Acton had said those who have developed antibodies to the coronavirus might be able to return to work without fear of getting COVID-19 or passing it to others. She noted some countries are considering issuing certificates to such persons, which she called “a dream if we could get something like that.”

But instead of criticizing his wife’s Nazi reference, the Powell Republican tag-teamed her by chiming in, “We will never allow that to happen in Ohio.”

Making it all worse, if that’s possible, was that the exchanges occurred on Tuesday, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and the target, Acton, is Jewish. The Brenners’ comments followed an unrelated display of a disgusting anti-Semitic sign at a weekend Statehouse rally seeking to reopen businesses in Ohio.

Given the opportunity on Wednesday to say more, Sen. Brenner did not take the high road that he might have chosen by calling out his wife’s comments directly. Instead, he supported her “concern about potentially putting in place health standards that are too stringent” and pointed his wrath at “the left” for criticizing her.

That’s strike two, Sen. Brenner.

It was not just opposition political leaders who rightly castigated Sara Marie Brenner for her attack on Acton, although plenty weighed in, including Rep. Emilia Sykes of Akron, Democratic leader of the Ohio House. She called the Brenners’ behavior “outright reprehensible.”

Also appropriately criticizing the couple’s comments were Gov. Mike DeWine, Ohio Republican Chairwoman Jane Timken and Republican state Senate President Larry Obhof.

In a tweet, DeWine condemned both the rally sign and the social media comments while defending his health director as “a good, compassionate, and honorable person who has worked non-stop to save lives and protect her fellow citizens.”

Timken targeted Sen. Brenner in her tweet: “I cannot condone comments comparing a public official to Nazism. It is incredibly hurtful and terribly inappropriate. @andrewbrenner”

And here’s strike three: While a state senator’s spouse is free to be as offensive as she wants in her public expression, Sen. Brenner can’t dodge responsibility while his wife behaves as his shadow voice, sending dog whistles to his basest supporters.

Sara Marie Brenner is a former Powell City Council member who has been an internet radio talk-show host and conservative political commentator.

Sen. Brenner long has been extremist in his hostility to public education in Ohio; as vice chairman of the House Education Committee in 2014, he called it “socialism” and said it should be privatized. When some used vulgar language to criticize his comments, he quipped, “I’m guessing those people had a public education.”

His other right-wing ideological causes include sponsoring Senate Bill 40 this session to prohibit Ohio’s public universities from restricting free speech, arguing that conservative views “have been stifled by the administrations of colleges and universities due to bias, fear or both.”

He was also disingenuous in his 2018 Senate campaign for denying he was supported by the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow when ECOT founder Bill Lager was his largest contributor.

Sen. Brenner cannot have it both ways: standing by while his wife says what he dare not and then failing to condemn it when she does.

This behavior also demonstrates how too much of today’s anti-government rhetoric lands scary close to paranoid racism. It serves no good purpose and only makes it more difficult for opposing sides to reach middle ground.

Sen. Brenner later issued a statement apologizing to Acton but claimed he didn’t say what was reported.

That’s not true, and it’s not good enough, senator. It’s time for you, for once, to do the right thing and resign.

— The Columbus Dispatch