Just as there are no atheists in foxholes, the ranks of the underdog state Senate Republicans are suddenly filled with the religion of reform. Well, bravo.

We would be even more delighted if they weren’t trying to rewrite history and portray themselves as having been reformers all along.

But the GOP’s disingenuousness in no way excuses the Legislature’s Democratic leadership from committing to those same reforms that Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos and his colleagues have belatedly embraced. Yet here are Senate Majority Conference Leader John Sampson and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver like nervous bridegrooms trying mightily to say anything except “I do.”

Mr. Skelos and every member of his Republican minority signed on last week to the reform pledges created by New York Uprising, a nonpartisan movement whose trustees include former New York City Mayors Ed Koch and Rudy Giuliani, and former Gov. Mario Cuomo. The pledges cover three areas — ethics reform, including full disclosure by politicians and public officials of outside sources of income and clients; redistricting reform, featuring an independent entity to draw legislative districts; and budgeting reform, including an honestly balanced budget by 2014 and an independent budget office to watch the state’s financial health.