The BBC headline reads: Clinton aide quits over race row. The truth is an old and honored Democrat was subjected to a media campaign that spun what she said into what some people wanted to hear, and not for the first time.

Let’s take a short video break with a classic, The Byrd’s Turn Turn Turn, because spin is all there is. When someone presents reality, they must be beaten down and driven out.

Kevin Drum talks about Obama’s Luck and says: “Contra Ferraro, if Obama were a white man he’d still be getting plenty of attention.” Right, you mean like Edwards got, is that right, Kevin? Or maybe, the most experienced individual in the race, Bill Richardson, who unfortunately doesn’t have an Hispanic name to go with his roots, or he might have been a contender.

The media decided the Republicans would provide the white male, because that’s all they have, so the Democrats must supply the contrast with a woman and a black man. The decision was made, and discussion of white males running for the Democratic nomination evaporated.

[Read more →]

Since I got up early to catch Lance Mackey win, I’ll leave you with the list of people who have finished the race to this point:

1 Lance Mackey (6)
2 Jeff King (11)
3 Ramey Smyth (48)
4 Ken Anderson (9)
5 Martin Buser (13)
6 Hans Gatt (38) [Yukon]
7 Mitch Seavey (33)
8 Paul Gebhardt (69)
9 Kjetil Backen (42) [Norway]
10 Sebastian Schnuelle (68) [Yukon]
11 Zack Steer (26)
12 Cim Smyth (2)
13 Rick Swenson (61)
14 Jessie Royer (3)
15 DeeDee Jonrowe (39)

Lance Mackey won the Spirit of Alaska Award by being the first into McGrath. PenAir gave him a spirit mask and a $500 credit on his air freight bill.

DeeDee Jonroe won the Dorothy Page Halfway Award as the first team into Cripple and $3,000 in gold nuggets.

Lance Mackey won the First to the Yukon Award in Ruby, worth 5,000 one-dollar bills and a gourmet meal.

Jeff King won the Gold Coast Award as the first musher to reach Unalakleet and received a trophy and $2,500 in gold.

As the overall winner Lance Mackey gets a new pickup truck and $69K.

The other top finishing mushers get some cash; everyone who finishes gets a belt buckle; and the last team gets the Red Lantern.

Jon Little at the “official Iditarod blog” has a nice piece on the winner.

Sadly the Anchorage Daily News reports on a third dog dying:

A 4-year-old dog in the team of veteran Kotzebue musher Ed Iten died Tuesday between Elim and White Mountain, according to the Iditarod Trail Committee.

The dog named Cargo died about 5 p.m. It was the third animal to perish during this year’s race.

It is probably another case of aspiration pneumonia, the dog inhaling food particles while gulping down a meal. Large dogs tend to gulp rather than chew, not just huskies. We lost a beautiful German Shepherd puppy because she swallowed a bone she found. Paul Gebhardt spread the ashes of one of his lead dogs while on the trail. Governor, a 4-year-old lead dog had died four months ago from swallowing a rock. You can’t guard against their nature.

Mackey and King are in Nome, but the race continues.

Current Standings:

1 Lance Mackey (6)
2 Jeff King (11)
3 Ramey Smyth (48)
4 Ken Anderson (9)
5 Martin Buser (13)
6 Hans Gatt (38)
7 Mitch Seavey (33)
8 Paul Gebhardt (69)
9 Kjetil Backen (42)
10 Zack Steer (26)
11 Sebastian Schnuelle (68)
12 Rick Swenson (61)
13 Cim Smyth (2)
14 Jessie Royer (3)
15 DeeDee Jonrowe (39)
16 Ed Iten (32)
17 Gerry Willomitzer (7)
18 Aaron Burmeister (14)
19 Ray Redington Jr. (49)
20 Jim Lanier (4)

In the Rookie race, it’s 27^th place, William Kleedehn (66), and 29^th place, Melissa Owens (59), on the trail from Elim with a three hour difference.

Rachael Scdoris (55) is in 62^nd place in Unalakleet.

In the back 81^st place, Liz Parrish (75), and 82^nd place, Deborah Bicknell (21), separated by a minute in Kaltag.

Lance Mackey(6) at 2:46AM AKDT.

A double double – for the second year in a row he has won both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod.

Update: Here’s the Anchorage Daily News story.

Just a quick listing of the top 20, as Mackey and King are the only ones racing for Nome at the moment:

1 Lance Mackey (6)
2 Jeff King (11)
3 Ramey Smyth (48)
4 Ken Anderson (9)
5 Martin Buser (13)
6 Hans Gatt (38)
7 Mitch Seavey (33)
8 Kjetil Backen (42)
9 Paul Gebhardt (69)
10 Zack Steer (26)
11 Sebastian Schnuelle (68)
12 Rick Swenson (61)
13 Cim Smyth (2)
14 Jessie Royer (3)K>
15 DeeDee Jonrowe (39)
16 Ed Iten (32)
17 Aaron Burmeister (14)
18 Gerry Willomitzer (7)
19 Ray Redington Jr. (49)
20 Jim Lanier (4)

Places 3 through 13 are waiting for the end of the 8-hour stop in White Mountain and the rest are racing to get to White Mountain.

Oh, Jeff King’s GPS unit has been flaky, so you can’t be sure, but it looks like Lance Mackey has about a 7 mile lead.