And a Chicken in Every Pot . . .

Massachusetts on Monday proposed that all Americans be required to have health insurance by 2012, and that the government should take steps to make sure anyone uninsured at that point receives coverage.

Kerry, a potential presidential contender in 2008, unveiled a health care plan that would cover every child in America, give Americans access to the same type of health care members of Congress receive and lower costs for employers.

"But if we're not there by 2012, we will require that all Americans have health insurance, with the federal government guaranteeing they have the means to pay for it," Kerry said.

He said his plan could be financed by repealing the Bush administration's tax cuts for people earning more than $200,000 a year. He did not say how he would enforce the proposal to have all Americans insured if his plan is not implemented by 2012