and i'm sure gillis is smiling on us tonight. [applause] >> without my friend chuck robb i wouldn't be here. he personally promised to pay my salary for a year even in the d.l.c. didn't last that long. and those of you who were around at the beginning know there was plenty of doubt as to whether it would. that was pretty important to struggling capitol hill staffer with two young daughters and a big mortgage and something i will never forget. thank you, conduct robb. [applause] >> from the very beginning will marshall has provided much of the intellectual capital of the new democratic movement. many of the ideas that define new democrats today are grounded in the work that will has done as policy director of the d.l.c. and president of the progressive policy institute. thank you, will marshall. [applause] >> to the chairs of the d.l.c., dick gephardt, chuck, sam nunn, president clinton, joe lieberman, ever,bayh, tom vilsack, harold ford jr., thank you for all you have done and for those still here thank you for your perseverance.

gillis long, who steny mentioned, started the effort to resuscitate the democratic party and the house democratic caucus four years before there was a d.l.c. he was my mentor and my friend. and though he died a month before it started, without his leadership, his courage and his vision, the d.l.c. would never have gotten off the ground. kathy long is with us, george has been the photographer and janis is here, and i'm sure gillis is smiling on us tonight. [applause] without my friend chuck robb, i wouldn't be here. he personally promised to pay my salary for a year even if the d.l.c. didn't last that long and those of you who were rarned at the -- around at the beginning know there was plenty of doubt as to whether it would. that was pretty important to a struggling capitol hill staffer with two young daughters and a big mortgage and something i will never forget. thank you, chuck robb. [applause] from the very beginning, will marshall has provided much of the intellectual capital of the new democrat movement. many of the ideas that define new democrats today are grounded in the work t