Who’d have thought we’d be talking about miscegenation in 2009? But as we saw yesterday, and now with this bit of business, there are people who have “Jungle Fever” still eating away at their bigoted brains 40+ years after Loving v. Virginia.

For quite some time, the press, including Mike Stark of The Stark Report, have been trying to get Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) to give a comment about the racist Hammond, Louisiana Justice of the Peace Keith Bardwell, who refused to marry an interracial couple. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Sen. Mary Landrieu were quick to condemn Bardwell (who said he wasn’t racist because his black friends can “use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else.”)

Well, maybe there’s a reason Vitter hasn’t made a comment. Mike Stark just learned that, after catching up with Vitter, the senator’s excuse is even more breathtaking — I haven’t read the case.” Watch it:

I emailed Vitter’s Press Secretary and asked if Vitter believed Loving had been decided correctly or if it was a case of unwarranted judicial activism. I let them know that if they sent me back a clarification, I wouldn’t have to ask the Senator on camera. Of course, if I did see the Senator before I received their statement, hopefully he would be prepared to answer the question.

Almost a month had passed when I ran into the Senator yesterday.

Here is the result:

I mean savvy politicians are good at an artful dodge, but this bumbling performance is classic. Mike:

Vitter graduated Tulane Law School in 1988.  Loving v. Virginia, decided in 1967, was a unanimous Supreme Court decision that declared state anti-miscegenation (interracial marriage) laws unconstitutional.  It is one of the bedrock civil rights cases, right up there with Brown.  It is simply not credible for any lawyer to claim ignorance when asked about Loving.