What They Really Mean by "Reform"

This post yesterday by Digby is illustrative.  A post by Charlie Savage discussing the new Justice Department guidelines regarding protecting journalists concludes:

The rules cover grand jury subpoenas used in criminal investigations. They exempt wiretap and search warrants obtained under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and “national security letters,” a kind of administrative subpoena used to obtain records about communications in terrorism and counterespionage investigations.

And then she cites Marcy Wheeler saying this:

Which makes these “new guidelines” worth approximately shit in any leak — that is,counterintelligence — investigation. 

Exasperated, Digby responds:

This is the stuff that drives you crazy.  They know they've gone too far and have to respond.  But they simply create some razzled dazzle "reform" that addresses a different issue and pretend that they've done something.  

And I think: you think this is bad, wait until you see how they want to "reform" the tax code!