Dean is apparently referring only to the New Testament.
Do you really want the historical answers? If so, use the following keywords and years in various combinations to search and begin study.
Early history:
Marcion Irenaeus Eusebius
Canonization of the New Testament:
New Testament canon 367 Bishop Athanasius Alexandria Constantine Council of Rome 382 Augustine Hippo 393 Carthage 397
Someone please correct me if I'm repeating something that was made up, but during the Pres. campaign, it seems to me that someone asked Dean what his favorite New Testament story was and he replied "the one about Job getting swallowed by the whale".
Just realized; wrong Dean. In the Immortal words of Emily Latella, "NEVER MIND".
I am curious about the Howard Dean thing, though, if anyone happens to know.