Via Tuesday’s New York Times:

David N. Dinkins, New York City’s first black mayor, offered some blunt advice on Monday to David A. Paterson, New York State’s first black governor: Don’t accuse your critics of racism.

That was in reaction to Paterson’s lame attempt to blame news media racism for legitimate criticism of his dreadful tenure as New York’s emergency backup governor.

Then again, Dinkins isn’t exactly unequivocal in his Times rebuke:

“I don’t think he means they’re picking on him because he is black,” Mr. Dinkins said. “I suspect he more means, were he not black — and maybe it’s pretty hard to make the distinction — those kind of comments would not have been made.”

Whatever the hell that means.

Regardless, note to David Paterson:

When David Dinkins takes you to the woodshed for playing the race card, your political career has officially bottomed out.