Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer gave an impressive performance last week when he unveiled his reform agenda for Albany.

Just take a look at what some of the best-known government watchdog groups had to say.

“It's bold and refreshing for governor-elect Spitzer to take these steps,” Michael Waldman of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law told the Associated Press.

“It was a good day for the reform movement in Albany,” said Blair Horner of the New York Public Interest Research Group. “I've never seen anything like this package ... it's a good beginning.”

But before we get too carried away with praise for Spitzer, let's also remember that the real test comes not now, not even on “Day One” (as Spitzer likes to say), but in the middle of the legislative session, when budget pressure is mounting, lobbyists are swarming around state office buildings and the leaders of the Senate and Assembly are looking to make three-men-in-a-room deals as they always have.

It's also worth noting that some of Spitzer's “reforms” alter practices that he just used on his way to governor's office. He's now limiting campaign contributions to himself and his lieutenant governor, but why didn't he do that in the fall. It's much easier to make such pledges when the next election is four years away.

Spitzer also plans to prohibit agency commissioners from raising money for federal or state office without leaving their state job, but we didn't see him resigning as attorney general in order to run for governor.

That said, Spitzer does deserve credit for laying out such a broad range of reforms that his office will follow. It's easy for a governor to call on the Legislature to reform, but it's refreshing to see one accompany such calls with reforms for himself.

We're particularly pleased that Spitzer plans to stay out of state-funded television commercials, a practice Gov. George Pataki abused habitually. It's also a positive move to start Webcasting state-level public meetings.

Now let's see if Spitzer can get those legislators to come up with some of their own changes for the better.