Attorney General Kathleen Kane didn't mince words in her response to state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe's efforts to seek her impeachment.

In a statement she released on Tuesday, Kane said Pennsylvanians should be "revolted" by the way Metcalfe is thwarting her from doing her job and accuses him of political gamesmanship.

Attorney General Kathleen Kane said Pennsylvanians should be revolted by state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe's attempts to have her impeached following her landslide victory last fall. 08/15/2013

Metcalfe, R-Butler, began circulating a co-sponsorship memo on Monday calling for Kane's removal from office because she is "creating a constitutional crisis by refusing to perform he assigned role and usurping the role of the courts."



He was referring to Kane's declaration that the state law that defines marriage as between one man and one woman was unconstitutional and she would not defend it against a legal challenge filed this summer.

Here is the full text of her statement:

"Rep. Metcalfe's call for impeachment should instead be an opportunity for his own introspection. More than three million voters elected me to office last year because they are fed up with partisan politics, which is what Rep. Metcalfe represents.

"I ran for Attorney General because partisan politics are so rampant and ugly, that the people of Pennsylvania are not properly served by their government!

"Rep. Metcalfe's goals of media attention and political gamesmanship are accomplished through loud, arrogant and misguided claims. Instead, his priorities should be reforming education, job creation, fixing our transportation system, or making the streets safer for kids and families, and should also include cleaning up the good ol' boys' system of public corruption. Instead, he chooses to focus on wasting time and battling me because I had the gall to run for office, win and serve Pennsylvania as an independent watchdog over the government they desperately want to rule.

"It is unfortunate that Rep. Metcalfe has such little respect for the people of Pennsylvania. It is also unfortunate and embarrassing that Rep. Metcalfe has such limited knowledge of the laws or perhaps poor understanding of time-tested, clearly enumerated legal principles. While he purports to know what actions I have taken, he is wrong. When he pretends to know the rules governing ethical conduct for attorneys, he again is terribly wrong. And, while Rep. Metcalfe pretends to understand the legal implications of my actions and others around the state, he could not be more misguided. I do not believe he cares about facts or the law.

"I have been, and always will be, committed to protecting, obeying and defending the Constitution of the United States and of Pennsylvania. I will continue to be the independent watchdog over state government to provide checks and balances on the power of those who seek to fulfill their own agenda. Public corruption and waste will not be tolerated. And I will act as the Commonwealth's attorney, pursuant to the rules of Professional Responsibility.

"The citizens of this great Commonwealth should be revolted that a politician such as Rep. Metcalfe is attempting to thwart an independent Attorney General from doing her job by using such a measure. I have never been afraid of or backed down from bullies. In fact, bullies strengthen my resolve to protect those who need it the most – the people of Pennsylvania. I will never be deterred by selfish rants of those who want Pennsylvania to belong to the few. We thrive on the principles of government for the people, by the people. I will continue to be the Attorney General you elected me to be."