The process has become the objective – The “reform”, Rest everything about the process is as if arbitrary -  bargaining and deals. The real objective is questionable and disputed, as the starting point.

This type of  usage would be a symptom of detached and potentially corruptible  elite–It is as if the reform is an external event, observed or delivered  by detached reformers, scientists and intellectuals.  the objective is confused with the process – they call it “reform” ?

Following are examples in headlines :

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28243.html
"Keep stealth amnesty out of health reform"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/opinion/14wed1.html?_r=1&ref=opinion
That Promised Financial Reform

More  “reform”  as objective - from Krugman :

Health care reform is getting close to the finish line. The key thing was always to get a bill to the Senate floor, so that reform no longer requires overcoming political inertia; instead, it’s killing reform that would now require drastic action, action that probably won’t happen.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/the-finance-committee-vote/?src=twt&twt=NytimesKrugman