Bush's huge tax givaways to the ultrawealthy have given Kerry an interesting advantage: by having a conveniently large dollar figure which, by merely repealing Bush's tax cuts, Kerry can point to as the cost of his health care plan, he is immune to the question of how it will all be paid for!
In these days of 'borrow and squander Republican' the tired old criticism of Democrats that they were the 'tax and spend' party has morphed into the similar but positive 'pay as you go' party. Who'd have thought the Democrats would embrace the idea of taxing and spending and have it resonate as both responsible and prudent?