Bob Rae hits back at Mulcair after jab at Munk debate

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair had some choice words for Bob Rae during Monday'sMunk leadership debate, but the former NDP premier of Ontario was quick tostrike back via Twitter.

While explaining his party'strack record on balanced budgets, Mulcair noted one exception, Rae's years as premier during the early 1990's.

"But it turned out he was a Liberal," Mulcair quipped.

Rae served as NDP premier of Ontario from 1990 to 1995, a period that saw netprovincial debt more than double, according to RBC. Raelater jumped to federal politics as a Liberal, eventually serving as interim leader from 2011 through 2013.

In a burst of return fire on Twitter, Rae got in a few jabs of his own.

He defended his record as premier.

Praised Pierre Trudeau (who Mulcair attacked at the debate)

And pointed out that Mulcair was once a Liberal himself.

He ended with this zinger.

In a story that mirrors that of Rae,Mulcairserved as a LiberalMNA in Quebec'sNational Assembly from 1994 to 2007, before moving to federal politics as a New Democrat.