Recently installed a Hampton Bay ceiling fan, the Waterton II, with an included light kit. The complete unit is powered by an electronic dimmer. The problem I have is I need to keep the lights on in order to operate the fan. If I turn the lights off the fan will not operate, nor will operate if I unscrew the bulbs. Is this a manufacturers defect or did I wire something wrong. Please help... it is getting hot in here at night.

Ok, first of all, you are not supposed to use a dimmer switch with a fan unless it is one designed for and specifically wired for a fan.

Second of all it sounds like you have it wired in correctly. It sounds like you have the black and blue wires corrected to black and white (ceiling) and white not connected. You need to connect black and blue together to black from ceiling and white to white.

See:

http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-wiring.php