The race between Anthony Cannella (R) and Anna Caballero(D) was one of the closer races last year.  Ideally, Democrats would have taken that seat, which runs from Salinas near the coast to a big swath of the Central Vally, and been a bit closer to the 2/3 vote in the Senate.  However, a bunch of IEs made the difference in that race, ultimately giving Cannella the 3 point victory.  The interesting one was from CCPOA, who dumped a big pile of cash against Caballero a few weeks before the election.

From a story back in October of last year:

The CCPOA’s independent expenditure for a “media buy” to oppose Caballero was reported today. The race has attracted nearly $1.75 million in independent expenditures, including nearly $1 million from business-backed groups on behalf of Cannella and about $400,000 from organized labor for Caballero.(SacBee)

So, CCPOA ended up putting a few slices in their nose to spite that mischievous face.  And you know what happens when you do that? Well, the ungrateful nose always gets its revenge.

The contracts were the subject of a pretty tense debate and seemed all but dead, until a late afternoon switch by Sen. Anthony Cannella (R-Ceres) sent them to the Assembly for consideration.

While the legislation, SB 151, contains the new contracts for six bargaining units and modifications of contracts for others, the marquee deal was a new contract for members of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association.

Cannella was the final vote, and didn’t go easily, that ungrateful bastard.  The funny part of these contracts, of course, is that they are virtually the same as contracts passed last year.  But you know, that was Schwarzenegger, or something.  This is the season for grandstanding, so especially when labor contracts are involved, there must be Republican grandstanding.  Heaven forbid Republicans agree with a union!

But CCPOA plays both sides of the aisle, and sometimes you get burned on that.  But with CCPOA, and their game playing on sentencing reform (we’re for it, we’re against it, give us more money!).  It is hard to really keep track of what they are doing, and occasionally how you feel about the organization.  

Don’t cry for CCPOA, I’m sure they’ll recover from their hurt feelings over Cannella.