During a recent tour through Iowa, Vermont Gov. Howard Dean roared to a group of Democrats, "We have to stop being bullied by the right wing in this country and stand up for what we believe in. The right wing doesn't represent America. We represent America." Intriguing and evocative this protestation may be, one can't help but ask, who is "we"? Dean, the self-proclaimed "outsider" and "underdog" in the quest for Democratic nomination for the 2004 Presidential nomination, is virtually unknown outside of his home state. He is perhaps best known as the governor who signed a controversial bill permitting same-sex unions in Vermont. But being unfamiliar and under-funded has not stopped this unusual candidate from traveling to Iowa, South Carolina, and other key primary states this year to make his case about who he is and what he represents. Dean was born into a wealthy New York family in 1948. The oldest of four brothers and the son of a wealthy, conservative stock broker, he grew up in the Hamptons and the Upper-East side where he attended elite private schools. In 1967 he entered Yale University. While at Yale, Dean discovered that he had an innate sympathy for the civil rights movement and the plight of the poor. He steered clear of radical protests and student demonstrations, later saying that he "instinctively distrusted ideologues," but he also came to oppose the escalating Vietnam War.

After graduation Dean did not immediately pursue a career in politics. Though he left Yale with a B.A. in Political Science, he initially set out to follow in his father's footsteps and make his way on Wall Street. He worked as a stock broker for two years before changing his career path and enrolling in the Albert Einstein School of Medicine in New York.

Dean graduated from medical school in 1978 and went to the University of Vermont Medical Center to do his residency. He subsequently moved to Shelburne, Vermont and established a medical practice with his wife, Judith.

Most elected officials only govern part-time in Vermont and this gave Dean the perfect opportunity to dabble in politics. In 1982, he ran for state legislature and won. He continued to practice medicine while serving n the Vermont House of Representatives. In 1986 he successfully ran for lieutenant governor.

Dean was elected to three consecutive terms as lieutenant governor; on August 14, 1991, Gov. Robert Snelling suffered a fatal heart attack. Dean was treating a patient when he heard the news and rushed to Montpelier to a hasty swearing in ceremony.

Shortly after assuming office in 1991, Dean called the governorship "the greatest job in Vermont." It would, however, also prove to be demanding. When Dean came to the post, he was immediately thrust into a heated fiscal debate. Vermont was muddled in a recession and faced a $60 million deficit. Before his death, Snelling had approved a temporary tax increase, which Democrats wanted extended to expand social spending. Republicans argued that the higher taxes would inhibit economic growth.

Many expected Dean to support the his party's position; however, he surprised everyone by siding with Republicans on the issue. Since that time, Dean has tried to find a third way in Vermont by running a tight fiscal ship and moderate social policies. In his 11 years as governor, Dean has successfully balanced Vermont's budget as governor and paid off much of the state's debt, all while lowering income taxes twice. Under his guidance, Vermont's bond rate has increased to AA+, the highest in New England, and become an attractive, business friendly environment for investor's, which, in turn, has created more than 50,000 jobs. As governor, Dean was partly responsible for the closing of over 70 sub-par landfills. He has supported the protection of undeveloped lands from urban sprawl and led a campaign to reduce Mercury-pollution in the air. He also champions the cause of universal health care. While he has fallen short of that goal, he was responsible for the Dr. Dynasaur (the spelling is correct) program which guarantees virtually every child health care coverage in Vermont. During Dean's tenure, Vermont has achieved one of the lowest uninsured rates in the nation. When Dean became governor in 1991, 12.7 percent of persons living in Vermont were uninsured. As of 2001 the uninsured rate dropped to 9.6 percent

Dean is perhaps best known nationally for being a champion of gay and lesbian rights. In the summer of 2000, he signed a bill that made Vermont the first state to extend the all the rights of marriage to same-sex couples except the title "husband and wife." For some time Dean has been making his designs on the White House clear. As far back as September 2001 he announced that he would not seek a 4th term as Vermont's governor. The following November he created a Leadership PAC, Fund for a Healthy America. But it wasn't until July 27, 2002 at a VIP reception in Florida that he officially declared his candidacy, becoming the first Democrat to do so. Since that time, Dean has spent most of his time outside of Vermont networking and establishing the underpinnings for a bid in 2004. He has criticized President Bush's $1.35 trillion tax cut, labeling it as tax break for the wealthy and asserting that Bush's handling of the economy is no more responsible than the Argentinean government's. Opposing the war on Iraq, Dean asserted that the United States should pursue an interventionist policy of "nation-building", rather than military confrontation. And he continues to make the cause of universal health care a corner stone of his agenda.