Former DNC chief: Rubio is ‘done’ for 2016

Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said on Sunday that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is “done” as a potential 2016 presidential candidate following the announcement that former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-Fla.) is exploring a run.

“I think Jeb does some very interesting things,” Dean said on ABC’s “This Week.”

“First of all, I think he’d be a formidable candidate if he wins the nomination,” he added.

{mosads}“Second of all, I think he’s got a really tough row to hoe to win the nomination for the reasons these folks were talking about. And third of all, I think he does move people out of the race. Marco Rubio can’t raise money anymore. He’s done.”

Dean said Bush is going to “take all the quote, unquote, establishment money out” of the race.

“I don’t understand how Marco Rubio is going to raise any money the way we did,” he added.

Dean said the eventual GOP nominee will be “toast” if the new Republican-controlled Congress won’t work with President Obama during his last two years in office.

“What people want to see is progress, and it can’t be just stop the president,” he said.

The former Vermont governor also said President Obama’s decision to normalize relations with Cuba “makes a lot of sense.”

“I’m with the president on this one, because he’s right — 50 years of a policy that doesn’t work probably ought to be looked at. And that’s what he’s going to do.”

— This report was updated on Dec. 22 at 5:39 a.m.