"Why would anyone waste time "attacking" the government? What would they hope to achieve?"

-That's exactly what I told the crowd back in Paris on july 14th 1789.

A request for re-exam is not an attack "on" the patent office.

It is an attack i in /i the patent office, i through /i the patent office, i on /i some company's patent.

Why would anyone waste time "attacking" the government? What would they hope to achieve?

They're asking the patent office to review - nothing to do with the patent holder.

To make such an attack, a vendor would be inviting triple dmages if the patent is held valid.