Yesterday, Mayor Giuliani traveled to Chicago, where he talked about legal reform. Giuliani brought a similar message to the Univesity of Iowa in Iowa City the day before. You may be wondering, why is Giuliani suddenly talking about legal reform? It's not the most exciting issue, to say the least. And besides, Giuliani already has laid out this particular commitment. But then you realize that one of Giuliani's opponents was a trial lawyer. That this opponent has opposed federal laws that would cap damages in civil suits. That he's relied heavily on donors from the trial lawyer lobby in the past. Here's the thing, though. Is attacking Fred Thompson's career as a lawyer really the best strategy for Giuliani to pursue? Conservative Republicans have reasons to oppose the trial lawyers' lobby, but tort reform isn't exactly what motivates them to become active in politics. It seems to me that a better way for Giuliani to go after Thompson would be to highlight the former senator's lack of executive experience. A campaign that attacks first is a campaign that feels compelled to attack. Often such compulsion is the result of weakness. If Giuliani starts specifically talking about Thompson the trial lawyer, then it's a sign that New York is wary of the man from Lawrenceburg.