Millie Peterson, a Democratic senator and retired social worker whose views are contrary to Ruzicka's, says opponents "need to use her tactics against her. Otherwise, politicians run scared. Go out and get your own people to be delegates. They have to do a better job of being there. You have to give her credit. She knows how to play the game. Watch her and understand how she does it. C'mon! Don't just hammer her. Do something."

In the same breath, though, Peterson criticizes some of Ruzicka's tactics, such as watching proceedings from the balcony.

"I don't find that appropriate," she says. "I don't think that's how we treat our elected officials. Work with them, without telling them what to do. You can't browbeat them. I would be uncomfortable with that individual telling me how to conduct myself. I was there representing my constituents and doing the best I can to represent them, not lobbyists — and she is a form of a lobbyist."

Ruzicka defends herself, saying, "If we weren't there, they wouldn't be listening to us. There are so many lobbyists up there. If we're not up there, someone else could persuade them. Legislators don't have time to study and read every bill. We don't get paid. We are citizens, not lobbyists. I'm sorry, but these are their constituents — the people who will make the phone calls and have the appropriate conversations. We don't try to twist arms and bully the people we are calling. . . .

"You sit up there in the gallery and listen to what goes on and wait for your bill to come up. You send notes saying, 'Please vote for/against it.' I lean forward so I can see. I don't browbeat. If you do that, human nature is to do the opposite. We try to be nice and smile and present the facts and tell them why we feel the way we do."

Ruzicka has been approached repeatedly to run for office, but she has never given it serious consideration. "I have no desire to be an elected official," she says. "I can do more for what I want to accomplish by working with elected officials. I also want the freedom to pick what I do and be with legislators if I want to be there. I can send others. We have callings in life. We all have a role we need to play."

It's a role, she says, she doesn't want.

Mother/teacher

She was born into a politically active family. Raised in Nampa, Idaho, one of four children, her father was a labor union president who was active in the Democratic Party.

"Mom was more adamant about it than he was," says Ruzicka. The entire family participated in politics at the grass-roots level, registering voters, urging people to vote, preparing mailers, making phone calls, meeting politicos.

"My parents taught me the importance of being involved," she says. "It was my involvement in the (LDS) church that taught me to be organized. The Eagle Forum is organized in chapters responsible for their areas, and each one puts people over projects. Like the church."