A Biden-Harris Lovefest | The Nation

President Joe Biden kissed Vice President Kamala Harris on the head as he said “I love you” during his rally Thursday afternoon at Prince George’s County Community College in Maryland. Bruce Springsteen’s “We Take Care Of Our Own” played as Biden took the podium. The party of joy was to celebrate cutting the prices of 10 expensive Medicare drugs, for an initial savings of $6 billion. They did it, thanks to Harris’s tie-breaking vote, without any support from Republicans.

But it was also an event to celebrate the vice president with the man who made her presidential bid possible, and perhaps to silence the idiotic ways of Donald Trump, who called the transition a “coup.” Or maybe not. I can believe that Harris, Biden, and their staffs don’t give a damn about Trump’s chatter. Maybe it was just time for a love fest. Why not?

In any case, it was touching. Biden will deserve many opportunities to take these victory laps, with or without Harris at his side.

Democrats have been trying to lower prescription drug costs, especially in Medicare, for decades. Biden said he and progressive Sen. Frank Church were trying similar measures 50 years ago. Republicans spent $400 million lobbying against the Biden-Harris moves. It paid off, in a way: They got all the GOP votes. But Democrats had the Senate majority, so it didn’t matter.

There was a lot of optimism on that Maryland stage. Angela Alsobrooks will likely retain Ben Cardin’s Democratic Senate seat. Gov. Wes Moore is a rising star. But there’s still concern about the Senate: Democrats need to get Jon Tester of Montana over the finish line. I want to see a rally like this in Bozeman or Helena.

In the meantime, this was a big celebration of a victory that hasn’t gotten enough attention (even though it doesn’t go into effect until January 2026, which is unfortunate). “Let me congratulate the Biden-Harris administration for taking on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and cutting list prices on some of the most expensive prescription drugs in Medicare by as much as 79%,” said Senator Bernie Sanders. he wrote Thursday. “This action will provide significant financial relief to seniors.”

And Biden promised that Harris (it will be Harris’s responsibility, of course) will distribute the savings to non-Medicare recipients. She seemed like a happy warrior when it came to that project.

Biden seemed like a happy warrior now, too. He slurred a few words, but who cares? He seemed light and funny, talking about the “270 years” he’s served in the Senate and referring to Trump as “Donald Dump.”

“Let me tell you what Our “Project 2025 is,” he told the crowd. “Beat them to death!” The crowd roared.

This was the best possible outcome for Democrats after Biden’s disastrous late-June debate collapse. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz reminds us of a 2008 Joe Biden, Barack Obama’s loyal sidekick. But this rally was a reminder of what Harris and the Democrats owe Biden right now. He’s still her boss, nobody’s sidekick, and they still have a lot to do together between now and November.