From the 1913 Webster's Dictionary, by way of Wiktionary:
reform (plural: reforms)n, Amendment of what is defective, vicious, corrupt, or depraved; reformation; as, reform of elections; reform of government.
There's Meta-more.
Please open your hymnals to Chapter 2.1:
This is a Democratic blog, a partisan blog. One that recognizes that Democrats run from left to right on the ideological spectrum, and yet we're all still in this fight together. We happily embrace centrists like NDN's Simon Rosenberg and Howard Dean, conservatives like Martin Frost and Brad Carson, and liberals like John Kerry and Barack Obama. Liberal? Yeah, we're around here and we're proud. But it's not a liberal blog. It's a Democratic blog with one goal in mind: electoral victory. And since we haven't gotten any of that from the current crew, we're one more thing: a reform blog. The battle for the party is not an ideological battle. It's one between establishment and anti-establishment factions. And as I've said a million times, the status quo is untenable- Kos, 2004
This is a reform blog. The status quo is untenable... Strong, clear words.
So let's try on a little reformation, shall we?
Election years are just that- years. We aren't in one yet.
Yet donuts are flying, diaries are dying, and we're all fiddling while Rome burns.
And when anyone objects, the song's the same: Must. Elect. Democrats.
We done that. We elected Democrats in 2006. Lots of them. A majority in both houses, last I looked. And guess what? We didn't do that by ourselves.
The Democrats are the in the majority now because the independents broke 2-1 against the Republicans then. That's right- Reform-minded independents put them there. And there's that word again.
So what have we as Democrats, and we as a blog, given those reformers to insure they'll be voting Democratic again? You know, in that really big election after the primaries? The one that really matters?
What have we done to get out of Iraq?
What have we done to close the revolving door from K Street to Congress?
What have we done to check out-of-control spending?
What have we done to hold accountable those responsible for the levees of New Orleans or the cells of Abu Ghraib?
What have we done to take back the Constitution? To restore Habeas?
To reclaim the separation of powers?
And don't say we need a veto proof majority to do any of that.
We don't.
Because the Democrats control Congress. The Democrats set the rules on lobbying. The Democrats direct the investigations. The Democrats issue the subpoenas. But most of all, the Democrats control the money.
And everybody knows it. And those independents who voted for change? Unless they see some, they won't stick around for that veto-proof majority. They'll walk away. They'll stay home.
So please, a little restraint, and a little reform of this wonderful space. A little less obsession with who we nominate, and a little more thought on exactly what kind of record Congress can build for Democrats to run on.