You can add “Muscular Patriotism” to the flying Monkeys’ joyful noise

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John Hinderaker, Powerline:

How Patriotic Can You Get?

Every four years, Democrats decide it is OK to be patriotic. Thus, from this morning’s New York Times newsletter. The headline: “Harris’s muscular patriotism”:

“Only in America,” Harris said, as the Philadelphia crowd burst into a chant of “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!”

This sort of unabashed patriotism doesn’t always come naturally to today’s Democratic Party. But it has been central to Harris’s presidential campaign. In her ads and speeches, she portrays herself as a tough, populist, progressive patriot.

It has made a difference, too.

Because all “unabashed patriots” think we don’t need borders. Tim Walz is a patriot, too, according to the Times. That is why he honeymooned in Communist China–Walz is much like Bernie Sanders, only more mean-spirited–one of 30 or more trips he has taken to that bastion of neighborliness. Walz doesn’t hide his enthusiasm for Communism:

“[Communism] means that everyone is the same and everyone shares,” Walz said during a lesson on China’s communist system in November 1991. “The doctor and the construction worker make the same. The Chinese government and the place they work for provide housing and 14 kg or about 30 pounds of rice per month. They get food and housing.”

Hinderaker: “How patriotic can you get? The Democrats are counting on their belief that 51% of us are idiots. And who knows? They may be right.”

Gallop has a different take than the NY Time’s propagandists:

Republicans and Independents

Republicans' pride in being American has consistently outpaced Democrats' and independents' since 2001 and does so today. However, Republicans' extreme national pride (58%) is now at its lowest point in the trend. Independents' extreme pride, at 34%, is likewise the lowest on record for the group.

After hitting a 22% low point in 2019, Democrats' extreme pride rose to 31% in 2021 at the start of Joe Biden's presidency, but it is down this year to 26%.

All three major party groups show double-digit declines in pride compared with 2013, with Democrats' 30-point decline the largest. The current 32-point gap in Democratic versus Republican pride is larger than the historical average though smaller than the record-high 54-point gap in 2019.

Joy:

https://apnews.com › article › trump-harris-walz-joy-positive-optimism-gloom-ff1818feee5c8661decaa9d48f6927af

Election 2024: Harris campaign pushes joy while Trump's paints darker ...

7 days agoDemocrats are playing up the sunnier Harris outlook, while the Trump campaign argues their candidate is reflecting the dour mood of the country.

  1. https://news.yahoo.com › news › why-joy-matters-kamala-harris-100005927.html

    Why joy matters: Kamala Harris hopes happy women can defeat Donald ...

    Kamala Harris bets the election on women's joy. Donald Trump stakes his hopes on men's anger

  2. https://www.wgbh.org › news › politics › 2024-08-07 › why-the-harris-walz-campaign-is-talking-about-joy-according-to-a-political-science-professor

    Why the Harris-Walz campaign is talking about joy, according to a ...

    In his speech, Walz spoke multiple times of joy: "This leader, this compassionate, careful, joyous leader believes in each and every one of you," he said of Harris. This is also something that others in the Democratic Party have pointed out: Massachusetts Congresswoman and Democratic Whip Katherine Clark said in addition to being battle ...

  3. https://abcnews.go.com › US › wireStory › early-harris-walz-rallies-feature-big-crowds-talk-112758241

    Early Harris-Walz rallies feature big crowds, talk of 'joy' and ...

    The first big campaign blitz by Democrats Kamala Harris and Tim Walz is in the books, and some of the common themes were big crowds, talk of "joy" and unsolicited GOP counterprogramming

  4. https://www.nytimes.com › 2024 › 08 › 09 › us › politics › kamala-harris-walz-joy.html

    Harris Used to Worry About Laughing. Now Joy Is Fueling Her Campaign.

    Aug 9, 2024Democrats are smiling again, and so is a vice president who once weighed the political risks of cheerfulness. The high spirits are also providing air cover for scathing attacks on Republicans.

  5. https://www.npr.org › 2024 › 08 › 09 › nx-s1-5060012 › kamala-harris-tim-walz-campaign-democrats

    Kamala Harris and Tim Walz bring back joy to Democrats and the ... - NPR

    Aug 9, 2024It's been a long time since Democratic voters associated politics with joy. This week, from one swing state to the next, Vice President Harris and her new running mate, Tim Walz, barnstormed ...

  6. https://www.washingtonpost.com › politics › 2024 › 08 › 08 › biden-walz-joy-trump-election

    Harris and Walz seize on joyful message in contrast to darker Trump ...

    Aug 8, 2024They try and steal the joy," Walz, the Democrats' newly selected vice-presidential nominee, said at a boisterous Detroit Metro Airport rally Wednesday for his running mate, Vice President ...

  7. https://www.vanityfair.com › news › story › democrats-optimism-2024-election

    Joy Ride: Upbeat Dems Are Spreading Optimism to a Divided (and Newly ...

    Joy Ride: Upbeat Dems Are Spreading Optimism to a Divided (and Newly Delighted) Nation After eight years of fear and loathing, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are energizing the electorate with levity ...

  8. https://www.nytimes.com › 2024 › 08 › 07 › opinion › kamala-harris-walz-democrats.html

    Opinion | Harris, Walz and Democrats' Joyful Campaign

    Aug 7, 2024Opinion Columnist. On Tuesday, during Tim Walz's debut speech as Kamala Harris's running mate, he thanked Harris for " bringing back the joy .". It wasn't until then that I fully ...

  9. https://www.yahoo.com › news › harris-walz-emphasize-freedom-joy-235445593.html

    Harris, Walz emphasize 'freedom,' 'joy' and press attacks on Trump ...

    In Philadelphia, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz make a lively first joint appearance as the Democratic Party's nominees for president and vice president.

    2

  10. https://dnyuz.com › 2024 › 08 › 07 › harris-walz-and-democrats-joyful-campaign

    Harris, Walz and Democrats' Joyful Campaign - DNyuz

    Harris, Walz and Democrats' Joyful Campaign. On Tuesday, during Tim Walz's debut speech as Kamala Harris's running mate, he thanked Harris for " bringing back the joy .". It wasn't until then that I fully realized just how much joy has been generating the electricity behind Harris's presidential candidacy. Not because of some ...

  11. https://www.msn.com › en-us › news › politics › harris-aims-to-bring-the-joy-at-democratic-convention › ar-AA1oWpEk

    Harris aims to bring the joy at Democratic convention

    Kamala Harris will be crowned by jubilant Democrats in Chicago this week as the party's standard-bearer against Donald Trump after one of the most head-spinning turnarounds in US political history ...

  12. https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org › news › npr › nx-s1-5060012 › harris-and-walz-reintroduce-joy-to-democrats-their-first-week-on-the-campaign-trail

    Harris and Walz reintroduce joy to Democrats their first week on the ...

    KEITH: For Democrats, joy and politics haven't gone together in a long time. Josie Steller and Tim Cincoski left their house at 7:30 in the morning to get to the Harris-Walz rally in Eau Claire ...

  13. https://www.theguardian.com › us-news › article › 2024 › aug › 11 › kamala-harris-tim-walz-campaign-joy-election

    The Guardian

    Aug 11, 2024We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us.

  14. https://www.politico.com › news › magazine › 2024 › 07 › 22 › kamala-harris-donald-trump-strategy-column-00170224

    Inside the Democratic Reboot: Joy, Hope and Fear - POLITICO

    Jul 22, 2024Inside the Democratic Reboot: Joy, Hope and Fear Biden's withdrawal lifted the pall over the party, but Kamala Harris doesn't have much time to turn the conversation to Trump's conduct ...

  15. https://thehill.com › homenews › 4824496-harris-campaign-joy-sour-moods

    Voters' sour moods could test Kamala Harris's 'joy' campaign

    Voters' sour moods stand to test Harris 'joy' campaign. Vice President Harris's campaign is touting "joy," attempting to change attitudes about the state of politics as the majority of ...

  16. https://www.alternet.org › alternet-exclusives › democratic-joy

    What's really triggering newfound Democratic joy - Alternet.org

    The conventional wisdom is Democrats are feeling joy again after many months of feeling dread. Joe Biden is the most transformational president of our lifetimes, but he's also the most geriatric ...

  17. https://www.usnews.com › news › politics › articles › 2024-08-19 › democrats-open-their-convention-transformed-by-harris-ascendance-but-facing-lingering-questions

    Democrats Open Their Convention Transformed by Harris' Ascendance but ...

    CHICAGO (AP) — A refreshed Democratic Party reintroduces itself to a divided nation this week, having been transformed by the money, momentum, relief and even joy that followed Vice President ...

  18. https://whyy.org › articles › dnc-democratic-convention-transformation-kamala-harris

    DNC 2024: Democrats open their convention transformed by Harris ... - WHYY

    Democrats open their convention transformed by Harris' ascendance but facing lingering questions. The party has been transformed by the money, momentum, relief and even joy that followed Vice President Kamala Harris' rise to the top of its ticket.

  19. https://www.msn.com › en-us › news › politics › biden-just-got-one-step-closer-to-replacing-postmaster-general-louis-dejoy › ar-BB1qDjxu

    Biden just got one step closer to replacing Postmaster General ... - MSN

    Biden just got one step closer to replacing Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. E ver since Postmaster General Louis DeJoy — a major Republican donor — was selected to head the United States ...

  20. https://www.baltimoresun.com › 2024 › 08 › 18 › democrats-look-to-find-their-joy

    Democrats look to find their joy in Chicago. - Baltimore Sun

    Hope and optimism likely to be embraced as a key campaign theme at the Democratic National Convention and beyond.

  21. https://events.democrats.org › event › 663873

    Walz-Watch Joy Party + VoPro Phone Bank · The Democratic National Committee

    Join us for joy + action to protect voting rights! Take action to ensure Democrats are elected up and down the ballot this year. We'll meet at 4:00 to call potential volunteers for poll observing (etc.), then we'll break out into merriment at 6:00 as we watch our future vice-president accept his nomination at the DNCC. Real food, beverage, and party hats provided! PS: Can you please spread the ...

  22. https://www.yahoo.com › news › harris-aims-bring-joy-democratic-011008772.html

    Harris aims to bring the joy at Democratic convention - Yahoo

    Kamala Harris will be crowned by jubilant Democrats in Chicago this week as the party's standard-bearer against Donald Trump after one of the most head-spinning turnarounds in US political history ...

  23. https://www.pbs.org › newshour › politics › 3-takeaways-as-democrats-kick-off-their-national-convention-in-chicago

    3 takeaways as Democrats kick off their national convention in ... - PBS

    A refreshed Democratic Party reintroduces itself to a divided nation this week, having been transformed by the money, momentum, relief and even joy that followed Vice President Kamala Harris ...

HERE ARE SOME OF THOSE PROUD PATRIOTS NOW:

MICHIGAN:

AND ACROSS THE NATION:

Flip on Pemberwick

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14 Rockland Place (the Pemberwick, not Old Greenwich Rockland Place) reports a contract after 24 days on the market; asking price, $1.895 million. Its builder paid $500,000 for what was then a 852 sq. ft., 2 bedroom, 1 bath home in July 2022, took out a $325,000 mortgage, and then totally renovated it, expanding it to 3,986 sq. ft. and made it a four bedroom, four bath house. It looks like Home Depot quality finishes — nothing wrong with that, but it certainly kept costs down — so he probably doing very well on this project.

Can’t say I’d pay nearly $2 million to live in Pemberwick, but it seems that someone is about to.

(original, 2022)

(original)


Those new negotiated prices for ten popular drugs? Their patents are about to expire, and cheaper generics will replace them, regardless..

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PowerLine

Posted on August 18, 2024 by Scott Johnson in 2024 Election, Biden Administration, Kamala Harris, Medicare

Big Fakers versus Big Pharma

John A. Clifford is of counsel at Merchant and Gould in Phoenix. He is a member of the Arizona and U.S. Patent Bars. I got to know and respect Jack on the other side of a case premised on the law of intellectual property.
Jack writes to comment on the claim made by Vice President Harris last week that the Biden/Harris administration is “lowering prescription drug costs.” Jack wants it to be noted: “I write as an individual and not on behalf of my employer or any client of that law firm. This is not a legal opinion. I simply asked AI to review the published literature available and tell me when the U.S. patents on these drugs expire. Such information is usually in the annual reports of drug makers and other reliable places. Before making any business decision on this topic, one should review the source documents themselves and not rely on AI or my comment alone.” I thought readers might find his comment (below the break) of interest.

* * * * *

Both President Biden and Vice President Harris spoke at Prince George’s Community College in Largo, Maryland this past Thursday. In their speeches (White House transcript here) they touted the administration’s negotiation of dramatic price reductions on ten pharmaceutical drugs, allegedly saving consumers and Medicare billions of dollars. But as Biden himself noted, the price reductions do not take effect until January 1, 2026. As a patent attorney with some understanding of how things work, I wondered what was going on. Why wait to save billions of dollars?

The agreement covers ten drugs, all of which are covered by one or more U.S. patents. Patents give the owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using or selling an infringing product for a limited time, normally something like 20 years, although with pharmaceuticals the period of exclusivity can be longer for various reasons.

In looking into this claimed Biden/Harris achievement I learned that eight of the ten drugs are covered by patents that expire in 2026 or before. Only one of the ten, Imbruvica, has a patent with many years left to run, and the price reduction negotiated for that drug is the lowest percentage price drop of the group.

Once a drug patent expires generic drug makers are free to enter the market with a generic equivalent, usually at a much lower price. The U.S. government has the details of the drug price reductions contained in the Inflation Reduction Act signed in August of 2022 here: Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program: Negotiated Prices for Initial Price Applicability Year 2026. Included there is this handy chart:

I propose adding another column showing when the U.S. patents on those drugs expire. It looks like this:

Januvia 2026
Novolog 2024
Farxiga 2025
Enbrel 2010-2029 (this one is complicated)
Jardiance 2025
Stelara 2023 (although a pay-to-delay agreement pushes competition off until 2025)
Xarelto 2024
Eliquis 2026
Entresto 2025
Imbruvica 2036

It is well known that generic drug manufacturers often enter the market with equivalent compounds after patents expire once they receive the required FDA approval for their versions. That usually leads to meaningful price reductions for consumers and Medicare through competition. History shows those price reductions normally are in the range of 34 percent to 68 percent in the U.S. The data can be found here, again published by the government.

The fact that the federal government can now negotiate directly with drug makers for lower prices may be significant, but for these ten drugs it is likely similar price reductions would have followed anyway once the relevant patents expired. The effectiveness of the administration on LOWERING PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS as claimed in the placards surrounding her at Thursday’s rally must be less than advertised. It’s like claiming an extension of the law of gravity, but not effective until January 1, 2026.

Your body, her choice

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Uninjected? You Need Not Apply to Harris Campaign

The Harris campaign has a job listing for a “National Booker,” tasked with working “with the Surrogates Communications Director and Deputy Communications Director to execute Harris for President’s strategy for deploying surrogates and allies across national and regional media outlets.”…

In the fine print at the bottom of the listing, the campaign makes it clear that it also expects the would-be employee to be completely caught up on his or her coronavirus vaccinations.

The requirement reads:

Harris for President requires all employees to be “up to date” on COVID-19 vaccination status as prescribed by the CDC as a condition of employment, unless otherwise prohibited by applicable law. If you seek a reasonable accommodation in relation to the campaign’s COVID-19 policy, you should speak to the HR Department prior to reporting to an office location.

The job listing can be found here.

In the Demmerkrat world, virtue signaling trumps science, every time.

The “vaccine” neither prevents infection nor stops it from being passed on, so there is no possible benefit to an organization requiring its staffer to subject themselves to injection, except as a loyalty test; an updated SS armpit tattoo, in fact.

Pending

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21 Kenilworth Terrace, $6.995 million, pending after 95 days. Built as a summer house in 1893, previous owners tried for $3.995 million in 2015 before finally selling it to these owners for $2.4 million in 2020. They’ve obviously put a lot of money into restoring it, and they’re about to be repaid for their efforts.

The place still lacks a garage, but one can’t really expect that luxury in moderate-income housing.