Only six more pandering days until Iowa.

On Sunday, all the major Democratic presidential candidates except Wes Clark debated in the Iowa Brown and Black Presidential Forum. Here are the awards.

Most important exchange: Howard Dean and debate co-host Maria Celeste Arraras. Arraras: "Would you wait, then, until you balance your budget to then go ahead with the middle-class tax cuts?" Dean: "That's right."

Most glaring sign of political vulnerability: Dean being attacked on tax cuts by Dennis Kucinich … from the right. Kucinich: "The tax cuts that are going to the people in the top brackets are the ones that ought to be canceled. We need to remember the working families still need a relief, Earned Income Tax Credit and other tax relief."

Most dishonest pander: Dean, backing away from his four-year-old comment that the Iowa caucus system favors special interests. "Candidates like me couldn't win without Iowa or New Hampshire, because it's the only place that someone without a lot of money but with a good message can look people in the eye, and they can evaluate you and decide what kind of president you want to be." (Imaginary truthful version: "People in any state with inexpensive media markets could screen candidates just as well. But because Iowa and New Hampshire currently go first, I can't win without Iowa or New Hampshire.")

Slickest pander: John Edwards. "One of the things that I have learned is the people of Iowa are very blunt and very direct." (Edwards in New Hampshire a week earlier: "I've figured out that the people of New Hampshire are very direct.")

Most gratuitous pander: First sentence of Dean's closing statement. "January 19^th is a celebration of Martin—Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday." (Pander-free version: First sentence of Al Sharpton's closing statement, one minute later: "Martin Luther King's mission was to change America.")

Best answer to a pander: Sharpton, after Dean bragged about how many blacks and Latinos in Congress had endorsed him. "You only need co-signers if your credit is bad."

Best euphemism: Dean. "When [Republicans] talk about divisive issues, we need to talk about education. … Instead of arguing about the things that they use to divide us, we need to talk about the things that everybody needs: jobs, education, and health care." (Previous phrase Dean has replaced with "divisive issues": "God, guns, and gays.")

Worst visual moment: John Kerry. He strode boldly to the edge of the stage, only to back away when he realized that the stage lights hadn't followed him.

Most outrageous statement: Sharpton. "We still have institutional discrimination in this country, which is worse than blatant discrimination. What is hurting us is that 50 years ago, we had to watch out for people with white sheets. Now they have on pinstripe suits." (Worse than the Klan?)