Pennsylvania voters have every reason to feel disenfranchised over developments related to embattled Attorney General Kathleen Kane.

The latest twist in the soap opera drama that defines her career unfolded Wednesday when lawmakers tried to remove her from office, a move that missed its mark by just a few votes.To say that Democrat Kane, 49, has been a disappointment is an understatement.In the beginning, she was a shining star.From 1995 to 2007, she served as an assistant district attorney for Lackawanna County, prosecuting countless sex-abuse, elder abuse, murder, assault, rape, public corruption and fraud cases.She announced her candidacy for the top lawmaker's office in 2012, receiving an endorsement from former President Bill Clinton.She campaigned heavily on television, airing commercials in which she promised she'd go to Harrisburg and clean house because she knew how to "deal with the big boys." She was a symbol of progress.For instance, Kane was hailed as a human rights champion in 2013, making national headlines by refusing to defend Pennsylvania's archaic gay-marriage prohibition, calling it "wholly unconstitutional."Kane was a one-woman caped crusader and voters cheered her on.By 2014, however, Kane's gold star began to tarnish.She was criticized for shutting down an ongoing corruption investigation that allegedly involved Philadelphia politicians who belonged to the Democratic Party.Then the public learned a grand jury was investigating the leak of two memos which allegedly came from Kane's office.In January 2015, it became known that a grand jury recommended criminal charges against Kane for "perjury, false swearing, official oppression and obstruction of law."Kane claims it's all about politics in the state's frenzied, dog-eat-dog political climate. But Kane also was criticized for failure to prosecute Democrats in a bribery sting investigation, and in a pay-to-play scandal involving the Pennsylvania Turnpike.In August 2015, Kane was charged by a Montgomery County district attorney with multiples offenses. Kane denied the charges and refused to resign, even after Gov. Tom Wolf publicly called on her to do just that.She's been ordered to stand trial.On Sept. 21, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court unanimously suspended Kane's license to practice law. In other words, our top lawmaker is now legally compromised in doing her job. One month later, prosecutors filed an additional perjury charge against Kane relating to alleged grand jury leaks.Last Friday it was revealed there might be a morale problem with employees of her agency.Is there any wonder?Some of her own deputies have challenged her. Others gave testimony that contributed to charges against her.The Kane drama continues to play out and it's an embarrassment to the commonwealth.Even worse, many voters likely feel they, too, are victims of a violation of trust.Kathleen Kane's tenure in office is a train wreck. And the rest of us are the passengers.By Donald R. Serfass |

dserfass@tnonline.com