"I Am Mr. Black People."

We must be at last have arrived at the end of the beginning — of the primary season, that is. At last night’s debate, the candidates finally went after each other on race:

Under fire in a campaign debate, Howard Dean conceded grudgingly Sunday night that he never named a black or Latino to his cabinet during nearly 12 years as governor of Vermont.

“If you want to lecture people on race, you ought to have the background and track record to do that,” Al Sharpton snapped at the Democratic presidential front-runner in an emotionally charged exchange in the final debate before next week’s kick-off Iowa caucuses.

“I will take a backseat to no one in my commitment to civil rights in the United States of America,” Dean said moments later, eager to have the last word.

You know what I wish Dean would have said? “Look, you race-hustler, Vermont is 98% white, and so was my administration. You know it, I know it, the voters know, and we all know that this party is going to self-destruct if it keeps on the path you’re leading it on.”

A statement like that would have been a Sister Souljah moment for Dean, and could have made him much more appealing to those ignorant hicks — er, Confederate-flag waving Southerners — who he claims he wants support from.

Instead. . . instead we got more of the usual — loud and angry capitulation.