ACHTUNG: The following is not a “fair and balanced” story. It is an editorial by the editor.

My old longtime trout fishing chum Jim Wasserman and I took an ambitious two-week vacation in the Western Upper Peninsula in 1978 and dropped in at the Ontonagon River to check out what we were told was a pristine stretch of water.

What we found instead was a chub-infested and unattractive stream. We caught a massive number of chubs, a trash fish that conservationist Sir Isaac Walton claimed in his classic 17th-work, The Compleat Angler, “The lowest of fish that swimmeth.”

We even had a Chub Derby for the biggest and most, but at one point, Wasserman found on the other end of his line an eight-inch brown trout. He immediately scolded his quarry, “You’re running with a bad crowd!”

Such is the depressing case of 80th District State Rep. Mary Whiteford, to whom I have to ask the question, “How low will you go?”

I first met Ms. Whiteford at a township board meeting in 2014, when she first announced her candidacy for the office she now holds. I was reasonably impressed with her, particularly her grace and apparent integrity as a former nurse. Unfortunately, she finished second in a four-way GOP primary to Cindy Gamrat of Plainwell, a well-known Tea Party member.

I railed against Ms. Gamrat’s awful politics quite often and Ms. Whiteford often told me she agreed with me. When Ms. Gamrat in early 2015 got into a lot of hot water for an illicit romantic affair with a colleague in Lansing, I noticed Ms. Whiteford wasted little time in getting back into the fray for the resultant special election. And I welcomed her return.

Ms. Whiteford won the special election with very little difficulty and handily was elected to her first full-two-year term in 2016. I even endorsed her in her primary race in 2016 against Abigail Noble, calling the latter, “Cindy Gamrat without the scandal.” To this day, I believe my assessment was accurate.

However, since then, I have yet to find any political difference between Mary Whiteford and Cindy Gamrat. I suppose the GOP’s call to “get into lockstep and march behind President Trump” is strong enough for people who used to take morality, decency and fair play seriously to “take a walk on the wild side.” Or is it ruthless opportunism?

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump appeared on the east side of the state at one of his patented campaign rallies rather than speak at the Washington Press Corps Dinner. It was eerily a lot like Trump’s conspicuous absence from the funeral Saturday of Senator John McCain.

I never believed that Ms. Whiteford should be compelled to come out against a president I believe to be a serial philanderer and a pathological liar. But I was surprised to note she and her husband, Kevin, made the time and effort to travel to Montcalm County to attend that rally and take a selfie of themselves having a grand time… wish you were here.

Even more troubling was a photo taken last month of Mr. and Mrs. Whiteford having a good time with Mr. and Mrs. Ted Nugent at the Michigan GOP Convention.

You remember Ted Nugent, the rock star who had no problem admitting he pooped his pants to get out of serving in Vietnam, an even poorer excuse than bone spurs.

And that’s not all.

Nugent once appeared on stage in concert, wielding two machine guns while raging, “Obama, he’s a piece of shit. I told him to suck on my machine gun.” Then he continued, “Hey Hillary, you might want to ride one of these into the sunset, you worthless bitch.”

Classy.

Ms. Whiteford likes to call her herself a conservative Christian. I have my doubts about the latter if she can overlook such boorish, vulgar and arguably almost criminal behavior. It makes me question her integrity, something I never did before, though I admit I’ve had serious political differences with her.

Mary Whiteford very likely will be elected for a third time to her seat in the State Legislature on Nov. 6. Her opponent, Democrat Mark Ludwig, has little name recognition and he’s with the wrong party in a one-party disease that has plagued West Michigan for a long time.

However, I wish to go on record, for what it’s worth (perhaps a seniors’ cup of coffee at McDonald’s) to say I am terribly disappointed in Ms. Whiteford. I used to view her much in the same way Barack Obama did John McCain — with respect.