As a legislator, I jokingly referred to her as "Boss," but there was some truth in my labeling of Pat Iannone, then president of the Utah Association of Realtors. Over the years, Iannone and her officers trained the membership of more than 11,000 to actively participate in political activities, run for office and contribute to their Political Action Committee fund (which now garners an astonishing $400,000 per year). Iannone and her successor Christopher Kyler rely on the fact that Realtors are well-known activists in their community who can easily command the attention of their elected representatives. The UAR, blessed with enthusiastic members, generous campaign contributions and the compelling message of protecting property rights, usually wins on Capitol Hill or in City Hall.

Webb: What individuals and groups have the most clout with the Legislature? That's hard to answer, partly because I'm too close to the action. One problem with writing this column is that Frank and I are not objective journalists watching from the sidelines. Far from it. We're political operatives, in the middle of a lot of legislative battles. So we have agendas to promote, clients to keep happy, relationships to cultivate, axes to grind and opponents to defeat.

In other words, you should never trust anything I write.

Thankfully, I'm not a full-time lobbyist like Frank. I focus more on the communications and grass-roots side of political persuasion, rather than hanging out in the Capitol hallways twisting arms. But I still have plenty of conflicts.

I asked several lobbyists, legislators and administration staffers about influence in the Legislature and received widely

divergent answers. Aside from the LDS Church, which stays out of 99.9 percent of legislative fights, no institution or individual dominates.

I believe clout and power are more dispersed and fragmented today than in past decades when a few big institutions were powerful. Everyone is fair game today. No sacred cows.

Legislative influence is not attained quickly or easily. It takes much time, effort and special circumstances to develop real swat. As in so many things, it's all about relationships — with legislators, staff, department and division directors, the governor and his staff, and other lobbyists and political operatives.

Relationships are developed by engaging politically year-round, not just during a session. The most influential people and organizations contribute to political campaigns, provide volunteers and grass-roots help, and stay in touch all year.