From his speech which I saved, but can not find the link now.
Together, we pledged that we would never run another 18 state campaign. We promised to compete in every state, for every level of office. We promised to stand up for our Party and fight for an agenda that reflects our values. We promised to show up everywhere and ask everyone for their vote.
We promised to modernize our Party, renew our commitment to the grassroots, expand our donor base and draw young voters and new voters into the Party.
And that is exactly what we did.
Barack Obama won 9 states that President Bush won in 2004. We picked up 8 Senate seats in 2008 and 6 in 2006. We won in places like Alaska and North Carolina-states where no one thought Democrats could be competitive. But we knew better.
We picked up 24 House seats last year after winning 31 in 2006. We had 22 Democratic governors when you elected me your chairman. Today we have 29.
Our Party now controls at least 60 of the nation's 98 state legislative chambers, which will not only impact redistricting, but will make our Party's bench even stronger.
We picked up 55 House seats, 14 Senate seats, 7 governorships, and we control 60 of 98 state legislative chambers....done while he was chairman.
He never was given an ounce of credit by the party leaders.
We are already starting to lose that advantage. I had a call from the DNC soliciting money today. I know they outsource the calls, but this was one frustrated guy. He said everybody was angry, and they wouldn't explain why. I said do you want to talk about it, because I will. I talked about all the aspects of the ignoring of the base of the party that is the part of the party that wants what is best for the country, not what is best for the corporations. I told him that under a Democratic administration we would see the privatization of Social Security, Medicare, and education. He asked for details, I gave them.
He said they were worried that not just the Blue Dogs were going to lose in 2010 but many others as well, and that I should donate to help them. I said that I feared the progressive voices were not loud enough, they needed to be more forceful.
I told him that under a Democratic administration there had not yet been time to stand up for the rights of women and gays. That we had to wait for a more convenient time.
Here is more from Dean's speech that day in January, not long after President Obama introduced Tim Kaine while Dean was in American Samoa fulfilling his last promise to the party. They did not even invite him to the press conference where Kaine was introduced. He was not even asked.
President Obama led more than a campaign. He inspired a grassroots movement and won a broad and diverse coalition of voters of all backgrounds in every part of the country. He set a new direction and a new tone for our nation and our politics, and people responded. I have no doubt that Barack Obama will be a great President and Joe Biden will be a great Vice President.
Let me also be clear about one more thing: As much as we have accomplished together these last four years, our work is not done.
This has been a truly historic and transformational election --- one that reflects the passing of the torch to a new generation. This new generation wants us to put aside the divisions of the past and come together around the shared task of building a common future. Barack Obama was right in 2004 when he said there are no red states or blue states. There are only American states, and we all share the same values. If we are to keep those voters engaged, and keep them in the fold we need to keep the promises we made.
We cannot afford to lose the millions of new voters and young voters who participated in this campaign for the first time. We have to keep the promises we made, and keep finding ways to engage them.
We won in the West and the South because we showed up and asked people for their vote. But we cannot become complacent. We all know that the political landscape can change very quickly. We need to keep showing up and keep asking people for their vote or we can lose those parts of the country just as quickly as we won them.
There is more that he said.
I have always believed that our values are core American values. We value work over wealth, tax policies that invest in the middle class, fiscal discipline, and equality and justice for all. Those are core American values. What we have lacked is a full time, professional party to help communicate those values and organize around them and a leader to inspire people to the cause. In President Obama, that is exactly what we have.
I am humbled by what we have accomplished here over the last four years. Today, we have a great president and vice president and a Party that is stronger than ever. And we did it by empowering people to take ownership over their democracy. Together, we moved our country forward.
Now back to one of his opening statements. He was right about what he was leaving for us as a party. I wonder if he is cringing over the way we appear to be going backwards right now, fearful of losing seats already.
My friends, let me begin by thanking you for the opportunity to lead this Committee and this Party for the last four years.After logging more than 727,000 miles visiting Democrats in all 56 states and territories, I say with confidence that I return to you a Party stronger than the one we inherited four years ago.
And we are already losing special elections and races that were won before. There appears to be no effort to continue to build the party at state levels. What was started appears to have been stalled in place.
Afraid to stand for what Democrats traditionally stand for. Fearful.