WASHINGTON (AP) – President-elect Barack Obama named Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine the next Democratic National Committee chairman on Thursday, pledging that the party would reflect their shared “pragmatic, progressive philosophy.”

“It’s a philosophy that measures the strength of an idea not by whether it’s Republican or Democrat, but whether it can actually solve a problem and make a difference in people’s lives,” Obama said at a brief news conference at DNC headquarters.

Kaine, for his part, promised to be “a passionate and positive promoter” of Obama’s agenda, “carry the proud banner of this proud party,” and engage all types of voters in a new style of politics.

With the announcement, Obama made a quick foray back into partisan politics during a transition filled with talk of bipartisanship. Even so, the Democratic standard-bearer signaled that he wanted the Democratic Party – and his administration – to be more inclusive than exclusive, more nonpartisan than ideological.

He cast the party as a continuation of his campaign that attracted supporters from across the political spectrum and said: “We cannot afford to abandon the movement we’ve built. We have to strengthen it.”

Obama also called for building on outgoing chairman Howard Dean’s strategy to compete in every state – even Republican ones – and redoubling efforts to reach all Americans by “finding candidates for elective office whose policies and plans are rooted not in ideology, but in what works.”

He praised Dean as “a visionary and effective leader,” and Kaine said his predecessor did “a remarkable job.”