Fred Thompson will take his effort to become the conservative favorite against Rudy Giuliani to a fitting venue: The Conservative Party of New York State, which feuded for years with Rudy.

"Some think the way to beat the Democrats in November is to be more like them. I could not disagree more," Thompson will say, according to prepared remarks.

"I believe that conservatives beat liberals only when we challenge their outdated positions, not embrace them," he will add. "This is not a time for philosophical flexibility, it is a time to stand up for what we believe in."

Thompson does not specifically mention Rudy in any of the excerpts leaked so far, but the message is clear. Rudy never ran as a Conservative under New York's fusion voting system, and was even the candidate of the now-defunct Liberal Party.