I think one of those little brain eating creatures from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan has burrowed into Al Gore's head.

Ha! Just kidding. That would actually be a sign of mental progress from the inventer of the internet, recipient of labor union lullabies, and the real winner of the 2000 election.

Anyway, with his usual sense of timing, America's third favorite raving madman trotted out his political minstrel show on MLK Jr. Day:

As we begin this new year, the executive branch of our government has been caught eavesdropping on huge numbers of American citizens and has brazenly declared that it has the unilateral right to continue without regard to the established law enacted by Congress precisely to prevent such abuses. It is imperative that respect for the rule of law be restored in our country.

Except, of course, when you and your fascist buddies (or your dad and his fascist buddies) are in power. Right, Al?

(APPLAUSE)

And that is why many of us have come here to Constitution Hall to sound an alarm and call upon our fellow citizens to put aside partisan differences insofar as it is possible to do so and join with us in demanding that our Constitution be defended and preserved.

It is appropriate that we make this appeal on the day our nation has set aside to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who challenged America to breathe new life into our oldest values by extending its promise to all of our people.

And on this particular Martin Luther King Day it is especially important to recall for that for the last several years of his life Dr. King was illegally wiretapped, one of hundreds of thousands of Americans whose private communications were intercepted by the U.S. government during that period.

GORE: The FBI privately labeled King the -- and I quote -- "the most dangerous and effective negro leader in the country" and vowed to -- again, I quote -- "take him off his pedestal."

That would be the Democrass government of President LBJ, the sainted RFK at Justice ordering the FBI wiretaps, and the Democrass controlled Congress that conveniently failed in its oversite duties.

The government even attempted to destroy his marriage and tried to blackmail him into committing suicide. This campaign continued until Dr. King's murder.

The discovery that the FBI conducted this long-running and extensive campaign of secret electronic surveillance designed to infiltrate the inner workings of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and to learn the most intimate details of Dr. King's life was instrumental in helping to convince Congress to enact restrictions on wiretapping.

If you have a strong stomach or if you are a masochist, the whole transcript may be found here courtesy of Washington's other newspaper.