I admit it was with reluctance that I put pen to paper and voted for Mr. Giannoulias last November. I also admit my wife and I made fun of the fact his mom lent him money for his campaign, among other things…

But maybe, just maybe, the reluctance and the joshing were ill-founded. Sure, some conservatives can’t stand the guy — how dare he be the progeny of a Chicago banking family … making loans to people, even if they have a criminal past … a Dem?

But in just a few short months he has already enacted commitments that he made on the campaign trail and, with former Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, worked out a very smooth R-to-D (or is it Czech-to-Greek?) transition in the Treasurer’s office. Both “big picture” items which have a net effect of benefitting Illinoisans of every stripe overall.

Others are taking notice too. In January, Rep. John Fritchey posted about Treasurer Giannoulias keeping his promise by way of an executive order putting stronger ethical guidelines in place at the Treasurer’s Office. A few weeks back Illinois political journalist/columnist/blogger Rich Miller touched on the newly elected Treasurer’s work to finish cleaning up Cellini Hotel scandal and tune up the Bright Start program — both tasks that JBT initiated and worked to transition into Treas. Giannoulias’ hands. Miller follows up on that earlier post today by writing that Mr. Giannoulias is quick to share the credit on that work with Judy Baar. Even the generally conservative Chicago Tribune is today giving him laurels for his work on finishing the improvements to Bright Start (which, the Trib notes, has til now been woefully unimpressive at a time when college costs are soaring).

Now I don’t know if, like Judy Baar Topinka and myself, Mr. Giannoulias is a coupon-clipper given that is family is fairly wealthy. But he does look to be getting off on the right foot in his post as a gentleman and a Constitutional officer. As citizens who daily feel the effects of his actions and programs, let’s keep an eye out to make sure things stay that way.