Back when Democrats ran the legislature, Republicans swore that things would be different if they ever were in charge. No more high-handed rulings, no more procedural shenanigans and no more bosses using their gavels to ram through favored legislation.

So much for that, says Boss Bob Rucho.

Back when a Democrat was Governor, Pat McCrory said the Governor shouldn’t appoint his or her fundraisers to the DOT board. As Bruce Siceloff reported in the N&O, candidate McCrory called for the elimination of “any fundraising for those currently on Department of Transportation boards, university boards and ABC boards.”

He said: “We should not give the appearance that someone gets an appointment because they’ve raised thousands upon thousands of dollars for a particular candidate. And there’s no doubt that that’s been the norm in state government for decades.”

So much for that, the Governor says as he appoints his campaign fundraisers to the DOT board.

Apparently, part of being a conservative is upholding long-standing political traditions.